straighten up phrasal verb (see also straighten)

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!

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

straighten up
straighten up (something)
to make things neat.
Be sure to straighten up your room before you leave.

It was only four-thirty, and she still had time to straighten things up before the guests arrived.

to start behaving in a more acceptable or correct way.
If you don't straighten up, I'm going to suspend you from this school.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

straighten up something
straighten up (something)
to make things neat.
Be sure to straighten up your room before you leave.

It was only four-thirty, and she still had time to straighten things up before the guests arrived.

to start behaving in a more acceptable or correct way.
If you don't straighten up, I'm going to suspend you from this school.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

straighten something up
to put something in order, to clean something up
We had to straighten up the house before inviting my parents over for dinner.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

straighten up
to put something in order, to clean something up
We had to straighten up the house before inviting my parents over for dinner.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

straighten up
v. To put in order; make neat.
Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming.
Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came.
Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲