straiten Definition
- 1to cause difficulty or hardship
- 2to limit or restrict
Using straiten: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "straiten" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The pandemic has straitened the economy.
Example
Her financial situation straitened her choices.
Example
The regulations straitened the company's operations.
straiten Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with straiten
straitened circumstances
a state of financial difficulty or hardship
Example
After losing his job, he found himself in straitened circumstances.
Example
He decided to follow the strait and narrow path after years of reckless living.
strait-laced
excessively strict or conventional in behavior, morals, or opinions
Example
Her parents were very strait-laced and disapproved of her unconventional lifestyle.
Origins of straiten
from Old French 'estreit', meaning 'tight'
Summary: straiten in Brief
'Straiten' [streyt-n] means to cause difficulty or hardship, or to limit or restrict. It is often used in the context of financial or regulatory constraints, as in 'The pandemic has straitened the economy.' 'Straiten' also appears in phrases like 'strait and narrow,' referring to proper conduct, and 'strait-laced,' describing excessively strict behavior.
