straddle

verb

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strad·dle | \ ˈstra-dᵊl

straddled; straddling\ ˈstrad-liŋ

, ˈstra-dᵊl-iŋ \

Definition of straddle

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

noun

Definition 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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Examples of straddle in a Sentence

Verb Turkey straddles Asia and Europe.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Head coaching candidates such as Bieniemy straddle a fine line between present and future aspirations. — Jarrett Bell, USA Today, "Eric Bieniemy is ready to be a head coach. Which NFL team will finally take him?," 30 Dec. 2020 While some of these areas may straddle the transition zone between snow, mixed precipitation and rain, there is the potential for six or more inches of snow in each of these locations. — Washington Post, "Messy winter storm likely for Mid-Atlantic Wednesday with heavy snow in western areas," 12 Dec. 2020 Ant will also need to apply to the central bank for a separate financial holding company license since its operations straddle more than two financial segments. — Bloomberg.com, "Ant IPO Has Slim Chance of Getting Done Next Year," 30 Nov. 2020 The city hopes HiLight can straddle that divide by serving its diverse populations. — Mike Rogoway, oregonlive, "Hillsboro launches HiLight, aspiring to build Oregon’s largest city-run internet service," 10 Dec. 2020 Although Amazon and Walmart are far ahead in online retail, a winner will need to straddle both domains, physical and virtual, to cater to India’s diverse and heavily rural geography. — Saritha Rai, Bloomberg.com, "Asia’s Richest Man Takes on Amazon in India’s Booming Online Market," 10 Nov. 2020 In recent days, Republicans have raised objections to Raphael Warnock, a Baptist pastor and a Democratic nominee for the Senate from Georgia, based on remarks of his that straddle the categories of religion and politics. — Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, "Raphael Warnock, Amy Coney Barrett, and Religious Tolerance," 24 Nov. 2020 Add it all up, and the 2012 battlegrounds largely straddle the industrial Midwest and the Sun Belt, with the latter region gaining momentum. — NBC News, "Meet the Press - November 15, 2020," 15 Nov. 2020 As points of contact between mathematics and reality, particles straddle both worlds with an uncertain footing. — Quanta Magazine, "What Is a Particle?," 12 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun This die-cast model of a Hyster straddle truck belonged to my best friend. — oregonlive, "A die-cast toy truck, ikebana basket and more: What are they worth," 1 Nov. 2020 One of them is a straddle, which involves buying both bullish and bearish options, targeting a selloff in Treasuries and thus higher yields across the long end of the curve. — Vivien Lou Chen, Bloomberg.com, "Credit Suisse Sees Blue Sweep as Dominating Market Narrative," 7 Oct. 2020 Pointing out that large suburbs such as Bolingbrook, Naperville and Tinley Park straddle different counties and different regions, Holland said that any restrictions affecting one area and leaving another untouched can present concerns. — Mike Nolan, chicagotribune.com, "Will County bars, restaurants prepare for renewed ban on indoor dining, drinking," 25 Aug. 2020 The public companies that have so far restored executive pay straddle the automotive, restaurant, and retail industries. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, "Coronavirus cuts to CEO pay were short-lived," 25 June 2020 But as China’s relations with the West have become more fraught, that straddle is turning into an uncomfortable and unsteady split. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "China or the West: Hong Kong Business Is Being Forced to Decide," 9 June 2020 The projections are based on an options trade called a straddle, which entails acquiring both bullish and bearish options contracts that allow investors to buy or sell stock at a specific price. — Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, "Tesla Poised for Dramatic Move After Earnings, Options Show," 28 Jan. 2020 The 228-acre property straddles the river, with a manufacturing complex on the Maryland riverbank and a limekiln and a million-gallon storage tank on the West Virginia side. — Washington Post, "Maryland environmental officials investigate leak in Upper Potomac River near shuttered paper mill," 25 Oct. 2019 Fructose is a weapons-grade sweetener, and sucrose straddles the spectrum to provide backup on both sides. — Ali Bouzari, SFChronicle.com, "The molecular science behind a Larkspur shop’s blueberry ice cream," 27 Sep. 2019

These 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.