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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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

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 Their homeland straddles the border, and thousands of tribal members live in Mexico. — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026 The British Film Institute chair has continued to deftly straddle two enormous jobs in European film and TV. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 Wiener not only leaves behind a richly complex body of work straddling textiles, painting, photographs, and collages, but also a career intricately connected to one of the most important chapters of Austrian art. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Covering Climate Now's project straddles a tightrope between advocacy and journalism, which experts say has pros and cons. — ABC News, 30 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
  • The crossing left at least 140 migrants dead and shook the city perched on the Mediterranean coast.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Parakeets – real this time – fly overhead and perch in the trees lining the garden.
    — Julia Wytrazek, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • The apartment spans 4,110 square feet, with three bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and a powder room.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Getting to shape something that spans from competition to just living my life is so meaningful to me.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of span
Verb
  • In Panama City, about 125 miles from the earthquake’s epicentral area, residents rushed from high-rise buildings when the ground began shaking Friday.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • When war breaks out, he is shaken from his sleep and runs for an air-raid shelter.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • The Tap on the Line (pictured above) is the only pub in the capital which sits directly on a tube station platform, and is one of the last remaining 19th-century stations.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If weather permits, be sure to dine at Oliveto Restaurant & Lounge Bar, which sits beneath a shady grove of trees and overlooks the pool and vineyard.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sit
Verb
  • The Draconids are the result of Earth intersecting with a trail from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, and occurs in October each year when the planet nears the comet’s orbit.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The two families’ lives intersected once again in their dedication to fight for independence for the Baltic states in the early 1960s.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of intersect
Verb
  • All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The system enables robots to choose different ways of passing through tight spaces, including stepping over objects, ducking under barriers, and turning sideways to fit through narrow gaps.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 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
  • Founded in 2009, the retailer’s business comprises 15 stores across China, as well as lifestyle concepts including a restaurant, a tea house, and a flower shop.
    — Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The following month, the league approved the Dream’s sale to an ownership group comprising Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and former Dream guard Renee Montgomery.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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