to scare somebody straight
01
to frighten or shock someone in order to improve or correct their behavior
![to [scare] {sb} straight definition and meaning](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/42782/original/?type=jpeg "to [scare] {sb} straight definition and meaning")
Idiom
Informal
例
The documentary about prison life scares me straight, making me reconsider my choices.
The tough love approach they use in the rehabilitation program scares him straight, motivating him to turn his life around.
