straight-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.

Cornyn, by contrast, is a straight-laced institutional conservative who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002 and built deep ties with the state's donor class and Republican leadership in Washington.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Mr. Johnson’s previous film was the slightly more straight-laced “BlackBerry,” about the rise and fall of the once-ubiquitous device.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

In 2004, she said, Capriglione came into the club where she was working and stood out as “a very straight-laced businessman.”

From Salon • Jul. 26, 2025

“It’s a bonus when I’m able to stretch myself and feel like I’m being challenged,” Poulter says of his character, the most straight-laced figure in the film, but imbued by Poulter with a surprising vulnerability.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2025

“Just look at that fat old roistering chair conversing with the thin straight-laced prig of a side-chair, next to him.”

From Polly and Her Friends Abroad by Roy, Lillian Elizabeth