1
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.
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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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straddle
The song's music video, filmed on the USS Missouri, was the first ever to be banned from MTV, because the superstar straddled a cannon on the battleship and also wore a barely-there, now-iconic leotard.
—
Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
Someone would start a cheer, others would join in, and the commotion would attract a new wave of attention, phones open to streaming apps, the entire scene straddling the line between performance and audience.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Since the seventies, the famed Nuyorican Poets Café has blossomed on the Lower East Side as an essential hothouse for arts movements of many stripes, perhaps most crucially as a launching pad for an emergent literati straddling the realms of soul and hip-hop.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
But in April, a pair of cyclones straddling the equator caused the wind direction to reverse.
—Pedro Dinezio, The Conversation, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
Someone would start a cheer, others would join in, and the commotion would attract a new wave of attention, phones open to streaming apps, the entire scene straddling the line between performance and audience.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Since the seventies, the famed Nuyorican Poets Café has blossomed on the Lower East Side as an essential hothouse for arts movements of many stripes, perhaps most crucially as a launching pad for an emergent literati straddling the realms of soul and hip-hop.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
But in April, a pair of cyclones straddling the equator caused the wind direction to reverse.
—Pedro Dinezio, The Conversation, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
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The mountain makes a majestic backdrop for Gergeti Trinity Church, a 14th-century gem perched 7,120 feet above sea level.—
Lori Rackl,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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In the video posted Friday, the two eagles are perched on a high tree branch in an undisclosed location.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Today, the multilevel main residence spans 8,842 square feet with six bedrooms and seven full bathrooms.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
26 May 2026
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Over several days in the country, the trip — Stefano Ricci’s ninth — spanned the Tarangire region guarded by the Maasai, and the Serengeti national park with its rich wildlife, including leopards and families of lions and lionesses and their cubs appearing in campaign imagery.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Hulst kept hammering lap after lap through the second mile but still could not shake Serna.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Then stir or shake the solution until the sugar is completely dissolved.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
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What's more is that Japan sits much farther south than the regions where auroras are usually visible.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 May 2026
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After housing federal agencies for more than a century, the structure eventually sat vacant before Kimpton turned it into a hotel in 2002.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Torres has an ongoing fascination with how toys, culture, and real-life quirks intersect; his wonderful feature film Problemista continues in this vein.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
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Footage of giant yellow black-eyed Susan flowers beams onto the wall from one projector, intersecting with video of swaying plants from another.—
Solvej Schou,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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So the team and I immediately dropped to the ground, ducked and covered.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
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The noise sent Wang ducking for cover.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Verb
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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
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The Lone Star State is already a literal powerhouse that bestrides domestic energy production.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Daily breakfast, comprised of homemade cakes and pastries, is also served at L’Olivo.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
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The Eleventh Judicial Circuit comprises federal courts in Georgia, Florida and Alabama.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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