1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

straddle

verb

Definition of straddlenext
1
as in to perch
to be in or move into a seated or standing position with your legs on either side of (something) She straddled the horse and waited for her riding partner to mount.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in to span
to be on both sides of (something) The town straddles the river. The movie straddles the line between comedy and drama.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
3
as in to shake
to agree with or seem to agree with two opposite sides of (something) The politician straddled the issue for weeks.

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of straddle Fraying friendship Thanks to a geographic quirk, Louis Patenaude’s freight business straddles the border between the US and Canada. — Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 The Quad Cities, which straddle the Iowa-Illinois border, have gone without passenger rail since 1979, despite their history as the center of the Rock Island Line. — Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 As the camera zooms out, the actress is revealed to be nude straddling a basketball hoop while spinning a ball on her finger like a Harlem Globetrotter. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026 Your work tends to straddle this line of hardship and comedy. — Jd Linville, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
  1. perch
  2. span
  3. shake
  4. sit
  5. intersect
  6. duck
  7. bestride
  8. comprise
Verb
  • An oxpecker in dark plumage and a bright orange bill perched on the crown of the rhino’s head like the king’s fool.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The triplex penthouse is perched high above the Milan skyline, with landscaped terraces.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • What is changing is the assumption that one type, experienced once and early, should be sufficient for an entire career spanning decades of relentless change.
    — Mo Husain, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The new entity, which will operate under the name Banijay Entertainment, will be the world’s largest independent production company, spanning 25 countries and encompassing more than 170 production and live-events companies.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of span
Verb
  • The policeman held on to Shorty’s biceps and shook them slightly, both giving the sense of a loving embrace and using his strength to lift Shorty ever so slightly off the ground and clear of the entrance.
    — Anand Giridharadas, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The trailer ends with Taylor-Johnson shaking and looking toward the sky as his transformation into a wolf appears to approach.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • But Wendy Goodman, New York Magazine’s design editor who has been a balletgoer since childhood, pays to sit at the front of the theater.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2026
  • At the top end of the range sits the Artycapucines line, an annual edition of limited-edition bags customized by prominent artists.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sit
Verb
  • Several readers have spoken of appreciation for the columns of mine that intersected sports and society, such as excoriating the NFL for its blackballing of Colin Kaepernick.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Soares’s work intersected with some of the defining figures in international music, from Argentine tango composer and arranger Astor Piazzolla to jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of intersect
Verb
  • Even so, the show ducked and dived the long arm of the network fuddy-duddies beautifully, skirting the edge of censorship with a knowing wink, clever pun, and out-of-this-world comedic timing.
    — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • But then, Jackson ducked low beneath two heavyweight defenders.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of duck
Verb
  • 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, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The Lone Star State is already a literal powerhouse that bestrides domestic energy production.
    — Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026
Definition of bestride
Verb
  • Their newest collaboration is an expansive collection for Zara Home, which comprises more than 200 pieces of furniture and decor, plus a ready-to-wear clothing line.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Hunter mindset has also shifted in recent decades and the percent of annual harvest that yearling bucks comprise has plummeted.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of comprise

Phrases Containing straddle

Browse Nearby Words

strabismus
straddle
straddled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of argot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All