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.

In an interview 25 years ago with the German newspaper Tagesspiegel he laid claim to a wilder youth than his strait-laced CV might suggest.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2025

Singapore was once known as an affluent and strait-laced city-state.

From New York Times • May 14, 2024

In contrast to strait-laced Seattle, where suds stopped flowing at 2 a.m. and never on Sundays, Georgetown’s unregulated taverns, eateries and roadhouses were open round-the-clock, serving laborers the hoppy product of their labors.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023

This strait-laced hamlet of thatched roofs, wine tasting rooms and chocolatiers is obsessed with its image as a charming Danish village.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 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