verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
straighten/square your shoulders (= stand with your shoulders straight, in a determined way )
▪
She squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
out
▪
It certainly would have straightened out a lot of Brunel's more tortuous routes!
▪
Then finally the Friendship straightened out and again disappeared, this time for good, heading northeast.
▪
We had our own personality question to straighten out .
▪
Part of me knows we have to get him straightened out and functioning better with the other members of the team.
▪
I dropped my eyes to my foot, straightened out the tongue, and stood up.
▪
My aim in this chapter will be to straighten out the rhetorical mess.
▪
And while you're here, let's see if we can get you straightened out .
▪
Jen had been a bad girl as a kid and probably seemed to him to be straightening out .
then
▪
Lie flat, bend the knees then straighten the legs upwards so that they are at right angles to your body. 14.
▪
Lying on your back, first bend the knees then straighten the legs. 13.
▪
Start as before, first bending the knees, then straightening the legs. 13.
▪
Hair by Rudi Kartal Hair has been straightened then graduated and layered.
▪
Bending your arms, lower your upper body backwards towards the ground and then straighten them without locking the elbows.
▪
Relax forwards, then straighten up and repeat to the other side.
▪
Lie flat, bend the knees, then straighten the legs upwards.
up
▪
He straightened up , twisting the silken threads, running them through his fingers.
▪
After negotiating the slope of the gutter he straightened up .
▪
After a while she straightened up and I poured her a fresh cup of tea.
▪
Then he straightened up , and, carrying something, slid out through the window on to the lawn.
▪
The car rocked, straightened up .
▪
It was as if a maid service had come here and straightened up .
▪
When I straightened up I heard a slight sound behind me.
▪
Pierre, now 20, says he really straightened up his act after Lyndi was born.
■ NOUN
back
▪
Grout turned away, straightened his back and brought his head up, ignoring Ashton pointedly as he walked proudly away.
▪
Lean on your shovel for one second to straighten your back , and there was Bud to remind you.
▪
There was hardware available to straighten women's backs , necks, and shoulders.
▪
Jose rests his burden on the ground and straightens his back to full measure.
▪
Slowly, Damian straightened , lifting her back to her feet.
▪
I could only agree with that, which straightened my back .
leg
▪
Lie flat, bend the knees then straighten the legs upwards so that they are at right angles to your body. 14.
▪
Lying on your back, first bend the knees then straighten the legs . 13.
▪
Now raise your arms above your head, straightening the legs and your spine.
▪
As you bend and straighten your legs , make a large circle with your arms.
▪
Gradually straighten the legs until you are standing upright, then lower slowly to the floor without jerking.
▪
Start as before, first bending the knees, then straightening the legs . 13.
▪
Bend and straighten the leg 8 times, then repeat with the other leg.
shoulder
▪
He would have thrown out the shirt with the slightly frayed cuff and straightened his shoulders .
▪
The Doctor sniffed, blew his nose on his handkerchief, and straightened his shoulders .
▪
He snapped at the men to pick up their feet and straighten their shoulders .
▪
He tried drawing in his stomach and straightening his shoulders , as instructed by the physical education teacher.
▪
She straightened her shoulders and gazed up at the unremitting blue of the sky.
▪
So, he was at it already, she thought, straightening her shoulders .
tie
▪
We put on our képis, straightened our ties , pulled our fingers into regulation gloves and set off for the guardhouse.
▪
Li stands, straightens his tie , formally shakes my hand, and moves purposefully down the hallway.
▪
I stuffed my shirt tail back into my trousers and tried to straighten my tie .
▪
The rest of the attorneys straightened their ties , leaned their heads in their hands.
▪
Ali Christie was straightening his tie as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
▪
Manville paused to straighten his tie before stepping through.
▪
I straightened my tie and guided my hair back with my hands.
▪
Uncle Philip, huge and sombre, came on to the stage, straightening his bow tie , which was askew.
■ VERB
try
▪
He tried to straighten up and nearly stumbled.
▪
I tried to straighten it out but I think I only made it worse.
▪
She was trying to straighten an anorak around Sonja's pitifully slight frame.
▪
Lift the chair with your head still against the wall. Try to straighten up while still holding the chair.
▪
But he doesn't review them, he doesn't try to straighten out the sheets yet again - not now anyway.
▪
Then you have to stand there trying to straighten out the wrinkled piece of money.
▪
He tried to straighten out the brim but it had been curled and folded so often it was beyond repair.
▪
I tried to straighten up, but another wave of nausea swept over me and I vomited again.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Alan straightened in his chair.
▪
Gradually straighten your legs until you are standing upright.
▪
I had trouble straightening up after I bent down to pick up the coins.
▪
I want to get the house straightened up before everyone gets here.
▪
She straightened up as Melissa approached, pulling off her gardening gloves.
▪
The car's in the garage having its front bumper straightened.
▪
The road twisted and turned and then straightened out.
▪
Try straightening your arm.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Heating an implement made of a straightened safety pin, he speared the bugs, then brought them to the candle flame.
▪
It will speak the truth and straighten the record.
▪
Lean on your shovel for one second to straighten your back, and there was Bud to remind you.
▪
Repeat all movements on 1 leg without straightening it.
▪
The operation also included straightening a tooth that grew out at a 45-degree angle.
▪
The papers on the table have been straightened.