Idiom idiom
straighten up
Meaning
To start living a reformed life; to adopt a more honest and respectable course of behavior.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He needs to straighten up and stop causing trouble.”
“After failing his final exams, he decided it was time to straighten up and focus on his future.”
“The judge warned the young man that he must straighten up immediately or face the severe consequences of his repeated criminal behavior.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026