bestride

verb

be·​stride bi-ˈstrīd 

bē-

bestrode bi-ˈstrōd 

bē-

; bestridden bi-ˈstri-dᵊn 

bē-

; bestriding bi-ˈstrī-diŋ 

bē-

transitive verb

1

: to ride, sit, or stand astride : straddle

2

: to tower over : dominate

… the bloated bureaucracy that bestrides us all.

—Edward Ney

3

archaic : to stride across

Examples of bestride in a Sentence

a giant that bestrode the river

Recent Examples on the Web

His career essentially bestrides the slow-to-grow Before Times and the apparent soccer paradise of today, which was fortified by remarkable facilities, boosted by an ideal central location and forged by an eagerly welcoming host city that slugged above its weight to make this happen. — Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026

The Lone Star State is already a literal powerhouse that bestrides domestic energy production. — Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026

Sovereignty, the Triple Crown Class of 2025’s Derby and Belmont victor and Saratoga-man-of-the-minute, bestrides the ultra-short Travers Stakes field of five as an undisputed equine colossus. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025

The film depicts a world where the Four are something like the Beatles, the Kennedys, the Curies, and the Brady Bunch all in one, a globe-bestriding celebrity family responsible for staving off supernatural threats and, seemingly, establishing world peace. — Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bestride

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied

Kids Definition

bestride

verb

be·​stride bi-ˈstrīd 

bestrode -ˈstrōd  ; bestridden -ˈstrid-ən  ; bestriding -ˈstrīd-iŋ 

: to ride, sit, or stand with one leg on each side of