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.

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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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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

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 The Schoonmaker Retreat is in Ulster County, which straddles the towns of Rosendale and Marbletown. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 But in the interest of affordability and customer choice, RTX Spark systems are also offered with smaller memory options, meaning that the model line straddles the line between Class 2 and 3. — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 Ultimately, six people—Skarsgård, Colman, Fischer, Wilson, intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien, and Oscar-winning cinematographer Lol Crawley—all experimented with positions together, straddling each other in odd ways to block the scenes. — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 Grammer has straddled comedy and drama throughout his career. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 Oct. 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
  • Teddy bears and trains, baseballs and dolls dance through the air into Santa's enormous sack, which sits at Santa's feet, or rather Harry's, who is perched high on the throne at the back of the float, magnificent in white whiskers and red velvet.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Every transformer on the grid—from the cylinders perched on utility lines to the big spiky devices at substations—trades voltage for current at a fixed ratio.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • Hemsworth’s work has always spanned genres—just look at his omnivorous DJ sets—but Numbskull positions him as a more traditional songwriter, underscored by the album’s personal, earnest tone.
    — Mehan Jayasuriya, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • No prior bubble spanned so many dimensions of the economy simultaneously—GDP growth, consumer spending, equity markets, debt markets, and venture capital all tethered to a single theme.
    — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of span
Verb
  • Sitake winds up practice with a prayer and insists that the defense and offense shake hands after going at one another all day.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mothers who beat, shook, shot, drowned, strangled, and stabbed their babies.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • While these tracks are endearing enough, Way Dynamic’s real magic sits at the juncture of folk and forlornness, when Young’s guitar is allowed to ramble and his regrets are sharp enough to bruise.
    — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • For founders sitting atop a mountain of stock, that beats selling shares, paying tax, and then giving away the cash.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sit
Verb
  • Years later, in 2030, his story intersects with that of his daughter, who makes her own pilgrimage to the Arctic Circle amidst political and environmental upheaval.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The island has long been home to skilled ceramicists, textile makers, glassblowers, and leatherworkers, but these practices are increasingly intersecting with a more contemporary design sensibility.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of intersect
Verb
  • Well, about four songs in, Jackson Browne decides to start his spiel about 'No Nukes' and how there was a nuke plant near Champaign, and everyone should 'duck and cover' or some crap like that.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lastly, try ducking into Casey Rubber Stamps, founded in 1979, in the West Village, and a neighborhood fixture since 2003.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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
  • The rest comprises things like structural supports, cooling systems, electrical connections, etc.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the camera, Avani Rai shot about 130 people comprising ordinary Indians, dancers, models, and artisans, as well as her mother and actor Ranveer Singh against the streets of Old Delhi and its flower market and crowded alleyways.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of comprise

Phrases Containing straddle

Browse Nearby Words

strabismus
straddle
straddled
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Cite this Entry

“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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