straighten out

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌstreɪtn ˈaʊt/
US: /ˌstreɪtn ˈaʊt/

  1. To arrange things so that they are in the right order or condition; to tidy.

    1. Please straighten out your room before dinner
    2. I need to straighten out these files before the meeting so everything is in order.

  2. To deal with a problem or difficult situation successfully.

    1. We need to straighten out this mess quickly
    2. The company hired a consultant to straighten out their financial problems and improve profitability.

  3. To start behaving in a more acceptable or responsible way.

    1. He promised to straighten out his life.
    2. After getting into trouble with the law, he decided to straighten out and get a steady job.

Synonyms

resolve sort out rectify reorganize improve reform

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "straighten out" in English means: To arrange things so that they are in the right order or condition; to tidy., To deal with a problem or difficult situation successfully., To start behaving in a more acceptable or responsible way..

The phonetic transcription of "straighten out" is /ˌstreɪtn ˈaʊt/ in British English and /ˌstreɪtn ˈaʊt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "straighten out": resolve, sort out, rectify, reorganize, improve, reform.

Example usage of "straighten out": "Please straighten out your room before dinner". More examples on the page.