straighten — ozdic

Collocations

4

ADJ.

flat, sure

VERB + STRAIGHTEN

can't, doesn't, don't, iron, let's, order, plant, turn

STRAIGHTEN + NOUN

affairs, desk, environment, everything, hair, layla, one's, room

PREP.

in, out, up

Definitions

verb

1

To cause to become straight.

[S]o / Do these upbear the little world below / Of Education,—Patience, Love, and Hope. / Methinks, I see them group'd in seemly show, / The straiten'd arms upraised, the palms aslope, / And robes that touching as adown they flow, / Distinctly blend, like snow emboss'd in snow.

2

To become straight.

3

To put in order; to sort; to tidy up.

to straighten one's affairs, or an account

Tuilagi and Ashton started in lively fashion, centre Tuilagi doing what he does best, straightening and bursting into the line, and Ashton always looking to leave his wing and get involved in the action.

4

To clarify a situation or concept to (an audience).

5

To bribe or corrupt.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

verb — put (things or places) in order

verb — straighten up or out

unbend

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

straighten out

To make straight.

Straighten out your necktie and comb your hair.

straighten up

To become straight, or straighter.

2006, American Motoryclist - Jan 2006, Victory's Kingpin goes its own way bank the big cruiser into the first of a series of corners, make a few quick left, right, left transitions

straighten up and fly right

To start behaving properly; get one's act together.

Now, we are going to straighten up and fly right is what was said. Well, we didn't straighten up and fly right. We continued our wild spending at home and abroad.

Example Bank

6

01

[S]o / Do these upbear the little world below / Of Education,—Patience, Love, and Hope. / Methinks, I see them group'd in seemly show, / The straiten'd arms upraised, the palms aslope, / And robes tha

Wiktionary

02

to straighten one's affairs, or an account

Wiktionary

03

Tuilagi and Ashton started in lively fashion, centre Tuilagi doing what he does best, straightening and bursting into the line, and Ashton always looking to leave his wing and get involved in the acti

Wiktionary

04

Let's straighten up the desk.

Tatoeba · #20536

05

I want you to straighten up the environment a little more.

Tatoeba · #31273

06

We will try to correct it in order to straighten out our finances.

Tatoeba · #61272

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, straighten is marked as slang. Watch for register when choosing this word.