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Definitions

straighten

[streyt-n] / ˈstreɪt n /


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.

See Examples For:

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

I stand straighten “That I better straighten my crown and remember who my grammy is.”

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

A microlens array first aligns and straightens the light from each laser.

From Science Daily Apr. 2, 2026

“We are going to take those sanctions off until this straightens out,” Trump said Monday.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 10, 2026

The Mercator map is arguably the best for this purpose, because it straightens out spiraling rhumb lines, and that’s why it rose to dominance.

From Slate Jan. 21, 2026

He straightens it out and enhances its faded colour with careful strokes of a pencil.

From BBC Nov. 29, 2025

He clears his throat and straightens his shoulders, then turns squarely to the Director and says, “You need to leave now.”

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

He played sensibly, taking 80 balls over his 58, until he was bowled by a wicked delivery from Foulkes that angled in, then straightened.

From BBC Jun. 27, 2026

A very kind woman working behind the desk straightened me out: I was being too literal.

From Slate Dec. 29, 2025

Bigklit, formerly Indigo Vanity: That’s what a lot of people knew me for: the curly, big half-pink, half-black hair with my straightened bangs.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 10, 2025

“The tears that I have shed over this, the frustration, the hours on the phone, trying to get it straightened out,” said Reisen, who lives in the Philadelphia area.

From MarketWatch Oct. 21, 2025

After the navy-robed singers settled into their tiered seats at the back of the stage, the crowd straightened as the pastor strutted into the spotlight.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

His grand goal was to reduce flooding, ease navigation and expand commercial shipping capacity by straightening the river’s course and shortening the distance between Basel and Bonn by 50 miles.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

"Great effort went into straightening rivers to harness them for our use, but also into enabling agriculture by draining the wetlands."

From Barron's Aug. 13, 2026

“We’re supposed to be bright and alert pupils with intelligent and witty repartee,” Cumberbatch says, straightening up with feigned attention.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 28, 2025

Over the weekend a Xinhua report on Li Qiang's visit said that engineers would conduct "straightening" work and "divert water through tunnels" to build five cascading power stations.

From BBC Jul. 21, 2025

“He’s ten years younger than me,” I say, straightening up indignantly.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen




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