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to straighten

to straighten

161 1.6
Make a place or things tidy and in order
  • verb
  • /ˈstreɪtən/
translation icon : ordenar
  • After the party, I spent the afternoon straightening the living room and putting everything back in order.
  • straighten things

So it kind of straightens up someone's diet, you know, quite nicely.

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Examples

  • There is a whole lot wrong with California that has to be straightened out.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Magazines and newspapers are straightened, and sofa pillows plumped twice a day.

    Academic text (2004)
  • I was just hoping you could call my boss back home and straighten things out for me.

  • I'm gonna have to straighten this whole thing out.

  • OK, we have a little bit of what looks like water damage there, but we will be able to straighten that up now, won't we?

  • We aren't getting anywhere. The lawyer said, "Well, I think I can straighten this out."

    Academic text (1992)
  • Naturally, that's when the client calls to ask that you straighten the whole thing out.

    Academic text (2002)
  • There's no beef, just something I'd like to get straightened out.

  • Gathered stray socks, made his bed, straightened the towel in the bathroom.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Already he has restocked and straightened the shelves, filled the cooler, mopped the floor, and cleaned.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to clean up
vsto straighten
433 1.0

To make a room or area free of dirt and tidy by removing mess

is about putting things in order rather than removing dirt
to arrange
vsto straighten
162 1.7

To put things or information in a clear, neat order

is focused on making physical things neat rather than ordering ideas for display
to make up
vsto straighten
48 2.6

Tidy a bed or room so it looks neat

is the common verb for making places or things orderly
to reorganize
vsto straighten
43 3.4

To change the way something is arranged to make it work better

is about putting things orderly without changing their basic arrangement or purpose
to tidy
vsto straighten
42 1.0

To make a place neat by putting things away

is broader neutral verb for making places or items orderly
to tidy up
vsto straighten
  • Informal
32 1.5

Make a room or desk neat by putting things in their right place

is the general act of making things orderly rather than improving looks
to spruce
vsto straighten
  • Informal
26 4.1

To make a place or person look neat and smart

is more general and covers putting things orderly not just styling appearance
to square away
vsto straighten
  • US
18 3.6

To make something tidy and ready to use

is mainly about making things orderly rather than preparing them for use
to spruce up
vsto straighten
  • Informal
13 3.8

To make yourself or a place look cleaner and nicer

is about general ordering rather than improving personal or visible appearance
to straighten out
vsto straighten
12 3.2

To make a place tidy and organized

is the single-word neutral verb for the same action
to straighten up
vsto straighten
8 2.7

Make a room neat by putting things away

is the single-word neutral verb for the same action
to spiff
vsto straighten
  • Informal
3 8.0

To make something look neater and more attractive with small changes

is the broader action of putting things in order rather than cosmetic change
to neaten
vsto straighten
1 3.7

To make something tidy by arranging things in order

is the everyday general verb used for making things orderly
to spiff up
vsto straighten
  • Informal
1 7.2

Make a person or place look neater and nicer by cleaning and adding small things

is mainly about making things orderly rather than focusing on looks
1 4.9

Getting your home and things tidy and ready

is focused on physical neatness of places and items not on life management
to defreak
vsto straighten
  • Neologism
9.9

To tidy a messy place and put things in order

is the regular act of making things orderly not only after chaos

Antonyms

4 4.5

To make something lose its order or structure

Idioms

Start to behave properly and follow rules

Phrasal Verbs

To solve a problem or make a misunderstanding clear

Sit or stand so your back and shoulders are straight

To make a place tidy and organized

To make something free of bends, twists, or knots

To begin to behave better after acting badly

Make a room neat by putting things away

How Tidy

to straighten
161 1.6
to organize
  • US
662 1.6
to tidy
42 1.0
to neaten
1 3.7

Surface Forms

straighten infinitive
straightened past participle
straightening present participle
straightens third person singular

Morphology

straighten = straight (semi-transparent) = straight + en

The verb is formed from 'straight' + '-en', but the sense 'tidy/put in order' is a metaphorical extension rather than a literal 'make straight' action.

Etymology

Straighten is built from straight + -en, and it also came to mean 'put in order' because making things straight often means lining them up. So to straighten a room or books is to arrange them neatly in a straight line or in order.