to straighten out
9
4.2
- phrasal verb
- /ˈstreɪtən aʊt/
:
enderezar
- After years of trouble, he finally decided to straighten out his behavior and focus on his studies.
- straighten out your life
- get straightened out
- straighten out your act
And hopefully that kid will learn a lesson and straighten out its ways.
- And hopefully that kid will learn a lesson and straighten out its ways.
- And the reason we did this is because you can't be, you can't straighten yourself out merely as a consequence of hope.
- If I get you out alive, the chances of you straightening out your life are not great.
- The oath of America that we take when we're straightened out is, is not an oath to lie, steal, kill, cheat.
- He kind of straightened, straightened himself out, you know, take got to get those naps in, you know, and he started out to do his show and I thought he was gone.
Examples
-
You won't see her again, not till you straighten yourself out.
-
I'm just trying to straighten out my life.
-
Just what any kid with problems needs to straighten out.
-
Maybe if he gets a regular spot, he'll straighten out.
Fiction book (1990) -
If you help me out... ...l swear I will straighten out my act.
-
Think your time in jail really straightened him out.
-
Hopefully, you can get yourself straightened out using these guidelines.
Blog text (4) -
He's just fallen into a bad habit early this year, but it's easy to straighten out, I think.
Blog text (21) -
You're gonna wind up just like your dad if you don't straighten out.
-
You know, Val... you got to straighten yourself out or you're gonna get yourself in trouble so deep that no one's gonna be able to get you out.
Synonyms
157
3.2
To make someone or something better after a bad time
2
8.6
Start to behave properly and follow rules
Antonyms
How Reformed
9
4.2
157
3.2
57
4.4
433
1.0
- Informal
11
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'straighten' (to put in order) plus the particle 'out' (a completive or thoroughness marker) yields a compositional sense of 'set right' or 'resolve', which can naturally extend metaphorically to 'put one's life/behaviour in order'. However, the shift from a literal physical ordering to improving personal conduct is a metaphorical extension that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase straighten out comes from the picture of guiding someone back onto a straight path: you straighten their direction and out shows the movement back to normal. So to 'straighten out' someone's behaviour means to help them change and act in a better way.