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 In the world of traffic oddities, one car straddling a bike path median — like a gymnast poised on a balance beam — could be called a fluke. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 The brand is the latest in the Iris portfolio that straddles health and aesthetics. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 July 2026 One shopper even brought their own traffic cone to straddle two spots. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Mythical creatures, too, soaked in the supernatural; half-men, half-animals who evaded classification—centaurs and satyrs, fauns and werewolves—straddling the boundary between man and beast. — Literary Hub, 30 July 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
  • On the heels of the death of his longtime mate Jackie, bald eagle Shadow has been perching, singing and lounging at his Big Bear nest with a new companion.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Davis told the Las Vegas detective that after the shooting, his group parked the Cadillac behind the Carriage House hotel and perched the gun on the tire on the vehicle’s front passenger side.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • One spans two spacious bedrooms, while another has its own kitchenette, and the largest includes a living room.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, and Frank Sinatra were among the many Hollywood stars whose residences were designed by prominent Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams during a career that spanned from the 1920s to his retirement in 1973.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of span
Verb
  • Miami likely will hold off on signing a 15th player to a standard contract, at least for now, in order to see who shakes free in the buyout market.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For some, fall fashion starts with color, working in warm browns and flashes of crimson red or shaking typical neutrals up with pops of cobalt blue.
    — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Los Angeles City Council members on Tuesday approved a resolution to remove 12 anti-camping zones around Hollywood, ending a years-long ban that prevented people from sitting, sleeping or camping in certain areas.
    — Brittney Ermon, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Videos posted on social media show sellers at Tehran and Karaj wholesale markets sitting beside their fresh produce, waiting to sell goods like melons, watermelons, pears, bananas and grapes, but with no-one arriving to buy it.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sit
Verb
  • Jackson County Counselor Bryan Covinsky said that a hearing was not required since the transit tax would not intersect with local or state statutes.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The shift coincided with the decline of vert skating and the rise of street skating, which increasingly intersected with hip-hop and fashion culture.
    — Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of intersect
Verb
  • Store employees are seen ducking for cover as more shots are fired.
    — Aziza Shuler, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Massey apologized and ducked behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three times.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 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
  • Summary Artificial intelligence adoption for frontline workers lags significantly behind its integration for information workers, despite frontline staff comprising the majority of the workforce.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Although People of Color make up roughly 40 percent of the United States population, National Park Service (NPS) comprehensive visitor surveys have consistently shown that Black visitors comprise a meager 1 to 2 percent of total park attendance.
    — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

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