Straighten

English

Verb

Straighten (third-person singular simple present Straightens, present participle Straightening, simple past and past participle Straightened)

1. (transitive) To cause to become straight.
2. (intransitive) To become straight.
3. (transitive) To put in order; to sort; to tidy up.
4. (transitive) To clarify a situation or concept to (an audience).
5. (transitive, slang) To bribe or corrupt.
6. (intransitive) To stand up, especially from a sitting position.

Derived terms

• straightener
• straighten out

Thesaurus

adjust, arrange, clean up, clear up, correct, disentangle, neaten, organize, put in order, rearrange, rectify, reform, rehabilitate, reorganize, resolve, settle, sort out, spruce up, straighten out, tidy up, uncurl, unkink, unravel, unsnarl, untangle

Pronunciation

• IPA: /stɹeɪtn/, SAMPA: /streItn/

• Audio (US)

  noicon

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtən

Etymology

From straight + -en

Translations

make straight

Dutch: rechtmaken, rechttrekken, rechten Finnish: oikaista (fi), suoristaa (fi)

Spanish: estirar (es) (hair)

become straight

Dutch: zich rechten, recht worden

Finnish: oieta, suoristua

stand up

Dutch: overeind springen; opspringen

See also

• straiten

Anagrams

• shattering