Synonyms

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.

His breath fogged on the icy air as he straightened.

From Literature

I straightened my spine to my full five feet seven inches and strode out without a backward glance.

From Literature

The four animals are expected to help return the West Glen River near Grantham to a more natural course after centuries of being straightened and deepened to drain farmland.

From BBC

He said there were doctors in Oklahoma City that could take a crippled leg and straighten it out as straight as a ramrod.

From Literature

Her hair had gotten thicker and turned more of a golden color, and she spent a lot of time in her room with the door shut, straightening her hair or curling it or something.

From Literature

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