straightenstraight‧en /ˈstreɪtn/ ●○○ verb 
Verb Table Examples
Can you straighten your leg?2[intransitive] (also straighten up) to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down3[transitive] (also straighten up) to make something tidy: Mum told me to straighten my room.straighten out phrasal verb1straighten something ↔ out to deal with problems or a confused situation and make it better, especially by organizing things SYN sort out: There are several financial problems that need to be straightened out quickly.2to become straight, or to make something straight: The path soon bends to the right, then straightens out.straighten something ↔ out She straightened out her legs.3to improve your bad behaviour or deal with personal problems, or to help someone do this: He straightened out when he joined the army.straighten somebody ↔ out Her parents changed her school, hoping it would straighten her out.straighten up phrasal verb1to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down: He remained bent over for several seconds before slowly straightening up.2straighten something ↔ up to make something tidy3American English to begin to behave well after behaving badly: You’d better straighten up, young lady!
Verb TableVERB TABLE
straighten
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | straighten |
| he, she, it | straightens | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | straightened |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have straightened |
| he, she, it | has straightened | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had straightened |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will straighten |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have straightened |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am straightening |
| he, she, it | is straightening | |
| you, we, they | are straightening | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was straightening |
| you, we, they | were straightening | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been straightening |
| he, she, it | has been straightening | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been straightening |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be straightening |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been straightening |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Alan straightened in his chair.
- Gradually straighten your legs until you are standing upright.
- I had trouble straightening up after I bent down to pick up the coins.
- I want to get the house straightened up before everyone gets here.
- She straightened up as Melissa approached, pulling off her gardening gloves.
- The car's in the garage having its front bumper straightened.
- The road twisted and turned and then straightened out.
- Try straightening your arm.
- Heating an implement made of a straightened safety pin, he speared the bugs, then brought them to the candle flame.
- It will speak the truth and straighten the record.
- Lean on your shovel for one second to straighten your back, and there was Bud to remind you.
- Repeat all movements on 1 leg without straightening it.
- The operation also included straightening a tooth that grew out at a 45-degree angle.
- The papers on the table have been straightened.
Longman Language Activatorto start to behave better► mend your ways
Collocations to change the way you behave, and start being obedient, hard-working etc, after behaving badly for a long time: · It's possible the college might take you back, but first you'll have to convince them you've mended your ways.· If he doesn't mend his ways he'll be in jail by the time he's eighteen.
► turn over a new leaf to decide that you will change the way you behave, because you really want to stop behaving badly, breaking the law etc: · I know I've done some bad things in the past, but now I'm turning over a new leaf.· After being released from jail, Tony decided to turn over a new leaf.
► clean up your act to start behaving better after a situation in which people did not trust you because you were behaving illegally or dishonestly: · She told her son to clean up his act or move out.· Tish has really cleaned up her act - she doesn't drink or smoke pot any more.
► straighten up American to start to behave well after you had been behaving badly: · You'd better straighten up or you'll never make it out of high school.
► a reformed character British someone who has changed completely and no longer behaves badly or does things they should not do - often used humorously: · "Does Alex still drink as much as he used to?" "No, he's a reformed character now."
► go straight to stop being a criminal and decide to obey the law and live an honest life: · He's been going straight for about six months now.· You can't expect these people to go straight when no one's ever going to give them a job.
to stand with your back straight► stand up straight · Stand up straight with your back against the wall.· The pain in his stomach was so severe that he could no longer stand up straight.
► stand to attention also stand at attention if someone such as a soldier or a police officer stands to attention , they stand with their backs straight, their arms straight down by their sides, and their feet close together: · The colonel gave the order for the men to stand to attention.· We stood at attention until we were given permission to leave.
► draw/pull yourself up to your full height to stand up as straight as you can because you are angry with someone or are determined to make them listen to you: · I drew myself up to my full height and informed him that the President had sent me down here personally.· Trembling inside, I stepped out of the car and pulled myself up to my full height to face my adversary.
► straighten up to stand up after bending down low: · She bent over the body, and when she straightened up there were tears in her eyes.· If you're lifting something heavy, be careful not to hurt your back when you straighten up.
to become straight or make something straight► straighten out to become straight or to make something straight: · The road twisted and turned for a few miles and then straightened out again.straighten out something: · He had straightened out all the paperclips on his desk, but had done no work.straighten something out: · Gemma needed surgery to straighten her knee out.
► straighten to make something straight: · The car's in the garage having its front bumper straightened.· Gradually straighten your legs until you are standing upright.
► straighten also straighten up to make your back straight when sitting or standing: · Alan straightened in his chair.· She straightened up as Melissa approached, pulling off her gardening gloves.
► sit up to make your back straight when sitting: · He sat up in his chair when I started talking about Chris.sit up straight: · Sit up straight and put a cushion behind your lower back.
to make a place tidy► tidy/tidy up to make a room, desk, or drawer tidy: · If you're not going to watch the football, you can tidy your room.· I haven't had time to tidy up yet.· I want this whole place tidied before I get back, ok?tidy up something: · You can start tidying up that mess you've made now.· She hung about after work, tidying up her desk.tidy something up: · Will you help me tidy the kitchen up a bit?tidy something away (=put something in the place where you usually keep it): · Come on, let's have these toys tidied away now.tidy up after somebody (=to have to clean a room and put things away after someone has been in there): · Both my sons think mothers are just here to tidy up after them.
► straighten/straighten up American to make a place tidy and clean, by putting things in the right place or arranging them neatly: · Make the bed and straighten up in there.· Kelly, when you're through with your break, would you straighten the office?straighten something up: · The city's janitors went on strike, leaving thousands of workers to straighten their own offices up and empty their own trash.straighten up something: · After the kids have left for school, I straighten up the house.· You're not leaving till you get your room straightened up.
► clean up to make a place tidy and clean, by putting things away and removing dust or dirt: · Do you want me to help clean up?clean something up: · Thanks for cleaning the place up -- I really appreciate it.· It took us two or three days to clean it all up.clean up something: · Every time Jasper cooked for me, he would carefully clean up all the pans and plates he'd used.
► clear up British to get rid of all the things that are making a place dirty or untidy: · Who's going to clear up after the party?· John's offered to clear up the churchyard this weekend. clear something up: · It'll take ages to clear this up.· It looked as if Marie had already cleared the place up.clear up something: · Someone's got to clear up this mess!· Wait for me, I just need to clear up my desk.clear up after somebody (=tidy a place after someone else has made it untidy): · I spend my life clearing up after the children.
► pick up to put things away neatly in order to make a place tidy: pick up something: · Could you pick up the newspapers and magazines for me?pick something up: · Help me pick these things up. We have company coming.pick up after somebody (=put away things that someone else has used) especially American: · I feel like I spend all my time picking up after the kids.
► get something straight British informal to tidy a place and put everything where it should be: · I like to get the house straight while the kids are at the youth club.· One of these days I'll get this garage straight.
► sort out especially British to organize something that is mixed up or untidy: sort something out: · I'm going to sit down quietly one day and sort my CDs out.sort out something: · I need to sort out the food cupboard, and make a shopping list.· We've got to sort out all our stuff to take home tonight.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► straighten/square your shoulders
Word family (=stand with your shoulders straight, in a determined way)· She squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► out· It certainly would have straightened out a lot of Brunel's more tortuous routes!· Then finally the Friendship straightened out and again disappeared, this time for good, heading northeast.· We had our own personality question to straighten out.· Part of me knows we have to get him straightened out and functioning better with the other members of the team.· I dropped my eyes to my foot, straightened out the tongue, and stood up.· My aim in this chapter will be to straighten out the rhetorical mess.· And while you're here, let's see if we can get you straightened out.· Jen had been a bad girl as a kid and probably seemed to him to be straightening out.
► then· Lie flat, bend the knees then straighten the legs upwards so that they are at right angles to your body. 14.· Lying on your back, first bend the knees then straighten the legs. 13.· Start as before, first bending the knees, then straightening the legs. 13.· Hair by Rudi Kartal Hair has been straightened then graduated and layered.· Bending your arms, lower your upper body backwards towards the ground and then straighten them without locking the elbows.· Relax forwards, then straighten up and repeat to the other side.· Lie flat, bend the knees, then straighten the legs upwards.
► up· He straightened up, twisting the silken threads, running them through his fingers.· After negotiating the slope of the gutter he straightened up.· After a while she straightened up and I poured her a fresh cup of tea.· Then he straightened up, and, carrying something, slid out through the window on to the lawn.· The car rocked, straightened up.· It was as if a maid service had come here and straightened up.· When I straightened up I heard a slight sound behind me.· Pierre, now 20, says he really straightened up his act after Lyndi was born.
NOUN► back· Grout turned away, straightened his back and brought his head up, ignoring Ashton pointedly as he walked proudly away.· Lean on your shovel for one second to straighten your back, and there was Bud to remind you.· There was hardware available to straighten women's backs, necks, and shoulders.· Jose rests his burden on the ground and straightens his back to full measure.· Slowly, Damian straightened, lifting her back to her feet.· I could only agree with that, which straightened my back.
► leg· Lie flat, bend the knees then straighten the legs upwards so that they are at right angles to your body. 14.· Lying on your back, first bend the knees then straighten the legs. 13.· Now raise your arms above your head, straightening the legs and your spine.· As you bend and straighten your legs, make a large circle with your arms.· Gradually straighten the legs until you are standing upright, then lower slowly to the floor without jerking.· Start as before, first bending the knees, then straightening the legs. 13.· Bend and straighten the leg 8 times, then repeat with the other leg.
► shoulder· He would have thrown out the shirt with the slightly frayed cuff and straightened his shoulders.· The Doctor sniffed, blew his nose on his handkerchief, and straightened his shoulders.· He snapped at the men to pick up their feet and straighten their shoulders.· He tried drawing in his stomach and straightening his shoulders, as instructed by the physical education teacher.· She straightened her shoulders and gazed up at the unremitting blue of the sky.· So, he was at it already, she thought, straightening her shoulders.
► tie· We put on our képis, straightened our ties, pulled our fingers into regulation gloves and set off for the guardhouse.· Li stands, straightens his tie, formally shakes my hand, and moves purposefully down the hallway.· I stuffed my shirt tail back into my trousers and tried to straighten my tie.· The rest of the attorneys straightened their ties, leaned their heads in their hands.· Ali Christie was straightening his tie as he reached the bottom of the stairs.· Manville paused to straighten his tie before stepping through.· I straightened my tie and guided my hair back with my hands.· Uncle Philip, huge and sombre, came on to the stage, straightening his bow tie, which was askew.
VERB► try· He tried to straighten up and nearly stumbled.· I tried to straighten it out but I think I only made it worse.· She was trying to straighten an anorak around Sonja's pitifully slight frame.· Lift the chair with your head still against the wall. Try to straighten up while still holding the chair.· But he doesn't review them, he doesn't try to straighten out the sheets yet again - not now anyway.· Then you have to stand there trying to straighten out the wrinkled piece of money.· He tried to straighten out the brim but it had been curled and folded so often it was beyond repair.· I tried to straighten up, but another wave of nausea swept over me and I vomited again.
WORD FAMILYnounstraightadjectivestraightverbstraightenadverbstraight
1[intransitive, transitive] (also straighten out) to become straight, or to make something straight: Can you straighten your leg?2[intransitive] (also straighten up) to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down3[transitive] (also straighten up) to make something tidy: Mum told me to straighten my room.straighten out phrasal verb1straighten something ↔ out to deal with problems or a confused situation and make it better, especially by organizing things SYN sort out: There are several financial problems that need to be straightened out quickly.2to become straight, or to make something straight: The path soon bends to the right, then straightens out.straighten something ↔ out She straightened out her legs.3to improve your bad behaviour or deal with personal problems, or to help someone do this: He straightened out when he joined the army.straighten somebody ↔ out Her parents changed her school, hoping it would straighten her out.straighten up phrasal verb1to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down: He remained bent over for several seconds before slowly straightening up.2straighten something ↔ up to make something tidy3American English to begin to behave well after behaving badly: You’d better straighten up, young lady!