Straighten
'streɪtn
Definitions
2 meaningsTo make something linear or correct a crooked or distorted form.
'streɪtn
To make or become straight.
Please straighten your back when you sit.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're fixing a messy room or fixing your posture. Straightening is making something go from a zig-zag to a straight line. If your hair is curly and you want it to be smooth, you'd straighten it!
👶 For kids: To make something not bent or crooked.
More Examples
I need to straighten these papers before filing them.
The dentist will help you to straighten your teeth with braces.
Can you straighten the rug, it's all crumpled?
How It's Used
"He straightened his tie before the meeting."
"She straightened the pictures on the wall."
To put something in order, resolve a conflict, or correct a situation.
'streɪtn
To resolve or put in order.
They're working to straighten out the misunderstanding.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, things are messy or confusing, like a bad argument or financial problems. Straightening is all about clearing things up and making them right. If you have a disagreement with your friend, you might try to straighten things out by talking it through.
👶 For kids: To fix a problem or make things right.
More Examples
Let's sit down and straighten things out before we make a decision.
He's trying to straighten out his finances.
I need to straighten out this paperwork.
How It's Used
"He needs to straighten out his life."
"We should straighten out the financial problems."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
straighten up
To make oneself or one's appearance tidy and respectable.
"You need to straighten up before you go to the interview."
From Middle English streighten, from Old English *strēhtan (inferred), from Proto-Germanic *straihtijaną ('to make straight, stretch'). Cognate with Dutch strekken, German strecken.
The word has been used in the same basic sense of making something straight or correcting since the Middle Ages.
Memory tip
Think of straightening a ruler – making it follow a straight line.
Word Origin
"to make straight, stretch"