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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

scare straight en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, transitive) To frighten (someone) to such a degree that a significant improvement in behavior results.
    • Slimmed down and scared straight after his bypass surgery, Clinton brokers a deal to get sugary drinks out of schools. 2006 May 15, "How Bill Put the Fizz in the Fight Against Fat, Time (retrieved 13 Feb 2013)
    • Indeed, there is a streak of Reaganomics that believes the only way to motivate American workers is to scare them straight with unemployment charts. 1982 September 3, Ellen Goodman, “Work ethic remains strong as ever”, in Spokesman-Review, Spokane, USA, retrieved 13 Feb 2013, page 4:
    • Thomas credited the boot camp for scaring him straight. 2005 March 16, Pete Thamel, “Scared Straight Into the Courts of Basketball”, in New York Times, retrieved 13 Feb 2013:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scares straight Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
scaring straight Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
scared straight Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
scared straight Tense=Past lexicographic

Relateds

set straight