strait-laced

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.

At 27, with nearly zero name recognition, he horrified his then-agent by turning down a $10,000-a-week TV gig as a strait-laced psychiatrist to do a Mike Nichols theater production for just $110.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

"Next to the vomiting, gurning, maniacally grinning Keaton, she can’t help but seem a little bland and strait-laced."

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2024

Last year, they were the strait-laced girl who had detailed notes, flash cards and pens for the borrowing; this year, the burnout who shows up at the end and aces the final?

From Seattle Times • Nov. 27, 2023

On several occasions, CNN’s strait-laced daytime shows, airing at off-hours like noon and 1 p.m., garnered bigger audiences than the new nighttime offerings.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2023

I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his family’s strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles