straighten

[streyt-n] / ˈstreɪt n /

VERB

put in neat or aligned order

Synonyms

STRONGEST

rectify uncoil

STRONG

align arrange compose correct even level neaten order tidy unbend uncurl unfold unravel unsnarl untwist

WEAK

make plumb make straight put in order put perpendicular put straight put to rights put upright put vertical set to rights smarten up spruce up

Antonyms

STRONG

disarrange disorder disorganize disperse mess up mix up scatter

WEAK

bend curve move twist

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.

After Wednesday’s column, readers emailed to straighten me out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

I rarely straighten my mop of thick, curly hair, and when I do, it’s not always a great experience.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026

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

Sometimes in the middle of sowing or reaping or tilling, or the innumerable tasks the land demanded, he would stop and straighten up, breathing hard and trembling.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Vocabulary lists containing straighten

List 10

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"The Giving Tree"

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Spelling Practice 3, Unit 4

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