Meaning & use
straighten
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make something straight, or to become straight, by removing bends or curves.
Grammar: Can take an object (straighten a wire) or be used without one (the wire straightened). Often followed by 'out'.
Patterns
- straighten something
- straighten out
- straighten up
He straightened the picture on the wall.
The road straightens after the next curve.
She used a hot iron to straighten her hair.
verbtransitive
To resolve a confused, difficult, or disorganized situation.
Grammar: Usually used with 'out': straighten out a problem, straighten things out.
Patterns
- straighten out something
- straighten something out
We need to straighten out this misunderstanding before it gets worse.
The new manager straightened out the company's finances.
Can you help me straighten out these travel plans?
Word forms
| third person singular | straightens |
|---|---|
| past tense | straightened |
| past participle | straightened |
| -ing form | straightening |
Common combinations
- straighten your back
- Sit up and straighten your back.
- straighten out a problem
- The lawyer helped straighten out the legal problem.
- straighten up
- He told the children to straighten up their room.
- straighten a tie
- He straightened his tie before the interview.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unbend
- Means to make something that was bent straight again, often used for physical objects; 'straighten' is more common and general.
- align
- Means to place things in a straight line or correct position; 'straighten' can also mean to remove curves from a single object.
- tidy
- Means to make a place neat; 'straighten up' can mean the same, but 'straighten' alone is more about making things physically straight.
Opposites
Word family
- straight adjective
- Not bent or curved; direct.
- straightener noun
- A device or tool used to make something straight, especially hair.
Commonly confused: straighten or strait?
straighten vs strait
A 'strait' is a narrow passage of water; 'straight' means not curved. 'Straighten' comes from 'straight', not 'strait'.
Practice
Before the meeting, she ___ her notes and organized them by topic.
Choose one answer.
'Straightened out' is the phrasal verb meaning to resolve or organize something confusing. 'Straightened' alone would mean made physically straight, which doesn't fit notes. 'Straightening' is the -ing form and needs a helping verb, and 'straighten' is the base form, also needing a helper.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “straighten”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.