Bow
Bow verb - To turn away from a straight line or course.
Usage example: the river bows gently to the north before it reaches the sea
Straighten
Straighten verb - To cause to follow a line that is without bends or curls.
Usage example: straighten that extension cord—it should be just long enough to reach the wall outlet
Bow is an antonym for straighten.
Nearby Words: straight, straightening
Both words in one sentence
- Legend of the Five Rings, meanwhile, though a Wizards game, has been using "bow/straighten" to mean "tap/untap" since before this was the case, and since it fits thematically, it hasn't changed.
Source: Call a Hit Point a "Smeerp"
Cite this Source
Straighten and Bow. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/bow/straighten
Bow & Straighten. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/bow/straighten>.
Straighten or Bow. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/bow/straighten.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "bow" and "straighten" have occurred on timeline