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strad·dle | \ ˈstra-dᵊl 
\
\straddled; straddling\ ˈstrad-liŋ , ˈstra-dᵊl-iŋ \
, ˈstra-dᵊl-iŋ \Definition of straddle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to stand, sit, or walk with the legs wide apart especially : to sit astride
2 : to spread out irregularly : sprawl
3 : to favor or seem to favor two apparently opposite sides
4 : to execute a commodities market spread
1 : to stand, sit, or be astride of
straddle a horse campsites straddling the river
2 : to be noncommittal in regard to
straddle an issue
3 : to belong in part to (each of several categories)
a movie straddling genres
straddle the fence
: to be in a position of neutrality or indecision
straddle
nounDefinition of straddle (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : the act or position of one who straddles
2 : a noncommittal or equivocal position
3 : spread sense 5
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Other Words from straddle
Verb
straddler \ ˈstrad-lər , ˈstra-dᵊl-ər \ noun
, ˈstra-dᵊl-ər \ nounExamples of straddle in a Sentence
Verb
Turkey straddles Asia and Europe.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The lines are blurry, and lots of voters straddle them.
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John Hood, National Review, "New Nationalists Make Three Big Bets," 28 Aug. 2019 Getty Images Meghan, on the other hand, opted for a look that managed to perfectly straddle the line between demure and daring.
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Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Wears a Cape for the Queen's Birthday," 21 Apr. 2018 His towering 1997 sculpture evoking the Trojan horse of Greek mythology straddled the border when it was made.
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BostonGlobe.com, "At Mass MoCA, an artist’s border wall rises to meet America’s divisive history - The Boston Globe," 13 Sep. 2019 Khan Sheikhoun straddles a major north-south highway and has stood on the front line of the conflict throughout the eight-year revolt against Assad.
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Washington Post, "Syrian military recaptures strategic town held by rebels as civilians flee," 23 Aug. 2019 The epicenter of the current outbreak straddles two conflict-ridden provinces of eastern Congo, where insurgents have launched attacks on medical workers and cultivated conspiracy theories about the disease.
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Los Angeles Times, "Q&A: A health official says Ebola has been ‘cured.’ Here’s why that’s not really the case," 16 Aug. 2019 Located just over an hour’s drive or train ride southeast from Geneva – or six hours southwest from Paris – the Alpine town straddles the Swiss and Italian borders, nestled at the southern base of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.
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Jerry Soverinsky, USA TODAY, "Chamonix, France: An Alpine outdoor adventure paradise for every sport, skill and budget," 16 July 2019 Harris approached Kimberly Gray, an African-American councilwoman whose district straddles Boulevard.
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Kurt Streeter, New York Times, "Richmond Is at a Crossroads. Will Arthur Ashe Boulevard Point the Way?," 21 June 2019 Days 11-14: Lake Mývatn and the Northern Coast Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge.
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National Geographic, "Iceland Expedition: Land of Fire and Ice," 15 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Keiko Matsui Pianist-composer-producer straddles jazz, classical and rock.
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Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, "Concerts in Houston: NF, Juan Luis Guerra, Maxo Kream, Peppa Pig," 17 Oct. 2019 His purple district straddles Fairfax and Prince William counties.
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Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, "Beto O’Rourke stumps in Virginia for Democrats in pivotal state elections," 4 Sep. 2019 Claire Marin and Cathy Leidersdorff’s home straddles New York State’s Delaware and Sullivan Counties, on a sprawling, wooded 32-acre lot in the Catskill mountains, not far from the Delaware River.
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Samantha Weiss Hills, Curbed, "Entrepreneur, and beekeeper, Claire Marin opens the door to her home near New York’s Catskill Mountains," 8 July 2019 The leadership of Pima County strongly opposes Rosemont, as do the two members of Congress whose districts the site straddles, Raúl Grijalva and Ann Kirkpatrick.
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Douglas Main, National Geographic, "In a land of wild cats and scarce water, a battle over mining heats up," 25 Apr. 2019 The percentages are derived from an options trade known as a straddle, which entails buying both bullish and bearish contracts that can be exercised at the same price for the stock.
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Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, "Options Suggest Big Moves in Facebook, Apple, Alibaba Stock," 29 Oct. 2018 The sprawling, 11-square-mile piece of land straddles Interstates 20 and 30 (near where the two highways merge) and is in the Aledo school district.
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Gordon Dickson, star-telegram, "This former ranch could have 50,000 Fort Worth residents. 'In 10 years, this will be a city in itself'," 9 July 2018 District 5 straddles parts of Miami and Miami Beach, with a heavy concentration of active voters in Little Havana and other enclaves when older Cuban-American voters are considered vital to win in low-turnout elections.
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Douglas Hanks, miamiherald, "Eileen Higgins wins Miami-Dade commission seat in upset over Zoraida Barreiro," 19 June 2018 This 13,000-square-mile swathe of shhh straddles West Virginia’s border with Virginia and Maryland.
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Laura Mallonee, WIRED, "Want to Hunt Aliens? Go to West Virginia's Low-Tech 'Quiet Zone'," 3 May 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'straddle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for straddle
straddle
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of straddle
: to sit or ride with a leg on either side of (something)
: to be on both sides of (something)
: to have parts that are in (different places, regions, etc.)
See the full definition for straddle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
straddle
verbstrad·dle | \ ˈstra-dᵊl \
\straddled; straddling
Kids Definition of straddle
1 : to stand, sit, or walk with the legs spread wide apart
2 : to stand, sit, or ride with a leg on either side of
He straddled the horse.
3 : to seem to favor two opposite sides of
Not wanting to offend anyone, she straddled the issue.
straddle
nounstrad·dle | \ ˈstrad-ᵊl\
Legal Definition of straddle
: the purchase of an equal number of put options and call options on the same underlying securities with the same price and maturity date
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