straight ‧ en /ˈstreɪtn/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ straighten ; noun : ↑ straight ; adverb : ↑ straight ; adjective : ↑ straight ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] ( also straighten out ) to become straight, or to make something straight:
Can you straighten your leg?
2 . [intransitive] ( also straighten up ) to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down
3 . [transitive] ( also straighten up ) to make something tidy:
Mum told me to straighten my room.
straighten out phrasal verb
1 . straighten something ↔ out to deal with problems or a confused situation and make it better, especially by organizing things SYN sort out :
There are several financial problems that need to be straightened out quickly.
2 . to become straight, or to make something straight:
The path soon bends to the right, then straightens out.
straighten something ↔ out
She straightened out her legs.
3 . to improve your bad behaviour or deal with personal problems, or to help someone do this:
He straightened out when he joined the army.
straighten somebody ↔ out
Her parents changed her school, hoping it would straighten her out.
straighten up phrasal verb
1 . to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down:
He remained bent over for several seconds before slowly straightening up.
2 . straighten something ↔ up to make something tidy
3 . American English to begin to behave well after behaving badly:
You’d better straighten up, young lady!