"straighten up" meaning in English

See straighten up in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: straightens up [present, singular, third-person], straightening up [participle, present], straightened up [participle, past], straightened up [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} straighten up (third-person singular simple present straightens up, present participle straightening up, simple past and past participle straightened up)
  1. (intransitive) To become straight, or straighter. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-lkj5nCkB
  2. (ambitransitive) To steer straight. Tags: ambitransitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-MK3PKZJs
  3. (intransitive) To sit up straight, to stop hunching. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-~WWkYGrq Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "up", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 5 20 21 25 5 18 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "up": 5 5 24 20 25 4 17 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 6 6 26 20 20 5 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 6 29 17 22 4 17
  4. (transitive) To deal with; to put in order. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-5FMHOaE0 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "up" Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 5 20 21 25 5 18 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "up": 5 5 24 20 25 4 17
  5. (transitive) To tidy; to tidy up. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-~i-qKwG9 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "up" Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 5 20 21 25 5 18 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "up": 5 5 24 20 25 4 17
  6. (transitive) To clarify. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-pWsxx3q1
  7. (intransitive, idiomatic) To start living a reformed life; to adopt a more honest and respectable course of behavior. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive
    Sense id: en-straighten_up-en-verb-vvrRDiPH Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "up" Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 5 20 21 25 5 18 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "up": 5 5 24 20 25 4 17
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: straighten up and fly right

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "12 6 28 13 33 5 3",
      "word": "straighten up and fly right"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "straightens up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "straightening up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "straightened up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "straightened up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "straighten up (third-person singular simple present straightens up, present participle straightening up, simple past and past participle straightened up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "2006, American Motoryclist - Jan 2006, Victory's Kingpin goes its own way\nbank the big cruiser into the first of a series of corners, make a few quick left, right, left transitions, then the road straightens up for a stretch..."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To become straight, or straighter."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-lkj5nCkB",
      "links": [
        [
          "straight",
          "straight"
        ],
        [
          "straighter",
          "straighter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To become straight, or straighter."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "13 October 2010, Blackpool Gazette, 'Bad driving' led to biker death crash\nHe said \"As I came out of the bend I went to straighten up the car and it just seemed to be carrying on turning.\""
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To steer straight."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-MK3PKZJs",
      "links": [
        [
          "steer",
          "steer"
        ],
        [
          "straight",
          "straight"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive) To steer straight."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 5 20 21 25 5 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 5 24 20 25 4 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 26 20 20 5 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 29 17 22 4 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Heike Lebherz, Riding For Pleasure:",
          "text": "Horse skin smells good. Lay your cheek against his neck and have a good cuddle. Now straighten up slowly again, and sit loosely.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To sit up straight, to stop hunching."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-~WWkYGrq",
      "links": [
        [
          "hunch",
          "hunch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To sit up straight, to stop hunching."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 5 20 21 25 5 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 5 24 20 25 4 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "1994, Mccook Daily Gazette, Jul 12, 1994, Mail Delivery Trying To Get Up To Speed\nThe Postal Service sent a special task force to straighten up the city's problems with a back-to-basics approach"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To deal with; to put in order."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-5FMHOaE0",
      "links": [
        [
          "deal with",
          "deal with"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To deal with; to put in order."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 5 20 21 25 5 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 5 24 20 25 4 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Richard R. Simmons, A Long Hard Ride:",
          "text": "The lockers were all standing wide open with equipment and uniforms scattered all over the room, he had left a note under the bottle telling me to straighten up the room, then straighten myself up before coming to work the next day.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tidy; to tidy up."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-~i-qKwG9",
      "links": [
        [
          "tidy",
          "tidy"
        ],
        [
          "tidy up",
          "tidy up"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To tidy; to tidy up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To clarify."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-pWsxx3q1",
      "links": [
        [
          "clarify",
          "clarify"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To clarify."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 5 20 21 25 5 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 5 24 20 25 4 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To start living a reformed life; to adopt a more honest and respectable course of behavior."
      ],
      "id": "en-straighten_up-en-verb-vvrRDiPH",
      "links": [
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ],
        [
          "living",
          "live"
        ],
        [
          "reformed",
          "reformed"
        ],
        [
          "life",
          "life"
        ],
        [
          "adopt",
          "adopt"
        ],
        [
          "honest",
          "honest"
        ],
        [
          "respectable",
          "respectable"
        ],
        [
          "course",
          "course"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic) To start living a reformed life; to adopt a more honest and respectable course of behavior."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "straighten up"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "straighten up and fly right"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "straightens up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "straightening up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "straightened up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "straightened up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "straighten up (third-person singular simple present straightens up, present participle straightening up, simple past and past participle straightened up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "2006, American Motoryclist - Jan 2006, Victory's Kingpin goes its own way\nbank the big cruiser into the first of a series of corners, make a few quick left, right, left transitions, then the road straightens up for a stretch..."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To become straight, or straighter."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "straight",
          "straight"
        ],
        [
          "straighter",
          "straighter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To become straight, or straighter."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "13 October 2010, Blackpool Gazette, 'Bad driving' led to biker death crash\nHe said \"As I came out of the bend I went to straighten up the car and it just seemed to be carrying on turning.\""
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To steer straight."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "steer",
          "steer"
        ],
        [
          "straight",
          "straight"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive) To steer straight."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Heike Lebherz, Riding For Pleasure:",
          "text": "Horse skin smells good. Lay your cheek against his neck and have a good cuddle. Now straighten up slowly again, and sit loosely.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To sit up straight, to stop hunching."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hunch",
          "hunch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To sit up straight, to stop hunching."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "1994, Mccook Daily Gazette, Jul 12, 1994, Mail Delivery Trying To Get Up To Speed\nThe Postal Service sent a special task force to straighten up the city's problems with a back-to-basics approach"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To deal with; to put in order."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "deal with",
          "deal with"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To deal with; to put in order."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Richard R. Simmons, A Long Hard Ride:",
          "text": "The lockers were all standing wide open with equipment and uniforms scattered all over the room, he had left a note under the bottle telling me to straighten up the room, then straighten myself up before coming to work the next day.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tidy; to tidy up."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tidy",
          "tidy"
        ],
        [
          "tidy up",
          "tidy up"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To tidy; to tidy up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To clarify."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "clarify",
          "clarify"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To clarify."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To start living a reformed life; to adopt a more honest and respectable course of behavior."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ],
        [
          "living",
          "live"
        ],
        [
          "reformed",
          "reformed"
        ],
        [
          "life",
          "life"
        ],
        [
          "adopt",
          "adopt"
        ],
        [
          "honest",
          "honest"
        ],
        [
          "respectable",
          "respectable"
        ],
        [
          "course",
          "course"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic) To start living a reformed life; to adopt a more honest and respectable course of behavior."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "straighten up"
}

Download raw JSONL data for straighten up meaning in English (4.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-13 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-02 using wiktextract (f074e77 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.