straighten

American

[streyt-n] / ˈstreɪt n /

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become straight in direction, form, position, character, conduct, condition, etc. (often followed by up orout ).

straighten British

/ ˈstreɪtən /

verb

to make or become straight
(tr) to make neat or tidy

straighten your desk

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

overstraighten verb
prestraighten verb (used with object)
restraighten verb
straightener noun
unstraightened adjective
well-straightened adjective

Etymology

Origin of straighten

First recorded in 1535–45; straight + -en ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“You have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in two weeks, easier than D.C.,”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

Or could the head of the country's supreme audit institution, another Socialist named Pierre Moscovici, help straighten the country's finances?

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

Should these innings be used to straighten out previously-successful relievers such as Treinen and Scott?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

“And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this. And it won’t even be tough.”

From Salon • Aug. 24, 2025

I thought she might try to pull away and straighten herself up, but she leaned into the older woman and cried.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023