straighten

straighten
straight|en [ `streıtn ] verb *
straighten or straighten out intransitive or transitive to make something straight:
He put on his jacket and straightened his tie.
She straightened her shoulders and marched into the room.
,straighten `out phrasal verb
1. ) intransitive or transitive same as STRAIGHTEN:
She tried to straighten her leg out, crying in pain.
2. ) transitive to deal with a problem or a confused situation:
A team of accountants was brought in to straighten out the firm's finances.
a ) to help someone with problems improve their inappropriate behavior:
He spent years trying to straighten out his drug-addict brother.
,straighten `up phrasal verb
1. ) intransitive to stand up straight
2. ) intransitive or transitive to make something neat:
Sarah, can you straighten up your room please?
We hurried to straighten up before they arrived.

Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.

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  • straighten up — {v.} To put in order; make neat. * /Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming./ * /Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came./ Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • straighten up — {v.} To put in order; make neat. * /Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming./ * /Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came./ Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Straighten — Straight en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Straighted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Straighting}.] 1. To make straight; to reduce from a crooked to a straight form. [1913 Webster] 2. To make right or correct; to reduce to order; as, to straighten one s affairs; to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • straighten — [strāt′ n] vt., vi. to make or become straight straighten out 1. to make or become less confused, easier to deal with, etc. ☆ 2. to make or become more correct or moral in behavior; reform straighten up to put in good order; make tidy [straighten …   English World dictionary

  • straighten up — (something) to make things neat. Be sure to straighten up your room before you leave. It was only four thirty, and she still had time to straighten things up before the guests arrived …   New idioms dictionary

  • Straighten — Straight en, v. t. A variant of {Straiten}. [Obs. or R.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • straighten — index fix (repair), organize (arrange), rectify Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • straighten — (v.) 1540s, from STRAIGHT (Cf. straight) + EN (Cf. en) (1). Related: Straightened; straightening …   Etymology dictionary

  • straighten — [v] put in neat or aligned order align, arrange, compose, correct, even, level, make plumb, make straight, neaten, order, put in order, put perpendicular, put straight, put to rights, put upright, put vertical, rectify, set to rights, smarten up* …   New thesaurus

  • straighten — ► VERB 1) make or become straight. 2) stand or sit erect after bending …   English terms dictionary

  • straighten — straight|en [ˈstreıtn] v 1.) [I and T] also straighten out to become straight, or to make something straight ▪ Can you straighten your leg? 2.) [i]also straighten up to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down 3.) [T] …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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