straightened; straightening
ˈstrāt-niŋ 
ˈstrā-tᵊn-iŋ
: to make straight
—usually used with up or out
: to become straight
—usually used with up or out
Examples of straighten in a Sentence
He straightened the bent antenna.
The drooping flowers straightened in the rain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hairdresser Jesus Guerrero styled Moore’s long tresses straightened, while makeup artist Rokael Lizama gave her gradient eye shadow, rosy blush and a pink lip.
—
Hannah Malach, WWD, 6 Feb. 2025
Rather than pausing to fix what had already been done, an attempt was made to straighten the thing out in midair.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Lopez wore her honey blond tresses straightened, while her makeup consisted of brown eyeshadow, winged eyeliner and a nude lip.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 26 Jan. 2025
Management’s direction will depend on whether the team can straighten itself out in the next month-plus.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for straighten 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hannah Malach, WWD, 6 Feb. 2025
Rather than pausing to fix what had already been done, an attempt was made to straighten the thing out in midair.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Lopez wore her honey blond tresses straightened, while her makeup consisted of brown eyeshadow, winged eyeliner and a nude lip.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 26 Jan. 2025
Management’s direction will depend on whether the team can straighten itself out in the next month-plus.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for straighten
Dictionary Entries Near straighten
Cite this Entry
“Straighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straighten. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
straighten
verb
straight·en
ˈstrāt-ᵊn
straightened; straightening
ˈstrāt-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become straight
—usually used with up or out
straighten up a room
straightened out the problem
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share