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 Gallup-McKinley, a sprawling district twice the size of Delaware, straddles part of the Navajo Nation and has the largest Native American student population of any public school district in the country. — Bryant Furlow, ProPublica, 13 July 2026 In January the city annexed Knox Ranch, which straddles Meadow Road. — Mary Ella Hastings updated July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026 That would be something that straddles all players across the payroll spectrum. — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Morningside Village, a roughly 50,000-square-foot collection of buildings that straddles North Highland Avenue, will receive new lighting, landscaping, paint, awnings and artist murals, according to property owner 26th Street Partners. — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 6 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 Thursday morning, fat bees perched on black-and-blue sage flowers, and doves loudly fluttered from fruit tree to fruit tree.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026
  • This Mexican state that’s perched on the Pacific coast has played host to two previous iterations of the world’s biggest sporting event throughout the decades (in 1970 and 1986, to be exact).
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • About the swamp A big, big place The Okefenokee Swamp is vast, 438,000-440,000 acres spanning about 700 square miles mostly in Charlton, Ware and Clinch counties in Georgia‘s southeast corner.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
  • Integrations span a wide range of categories, including analytics, administration, AI tools, business messaging, CRM, and project management.
    — John Brandon, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026
Definition of span
Verb
  • Penta went for a Mexican Destroyer on the apron, but Rusev shook him off as the heels took control.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Keegan was not interested in being figurehead or a legend in the executive boxes, shaking hands and reminiscing about the old days.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • The club now sits at 4 wins, 10 losses, 2 draws (14 points), just six points off a playoff spot but with plenty of congestion in between.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • The nine buildings sit next to the light rail and Rail Trail, near the East/West Blvd station.
    — Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Definition of sit
Verb
  • That innovation is also intersecting with the growth of artificial intelligence capabilities, according to Hendrik Venter, CEO of DHL Supply Chain.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 25 July 2026
  • There are indications the administration is preparing for a prolonged conflict that could intersect with midterms, when Republicans are vulnerable to losing their grips on the House and Senate.
    — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of intersect
Verb
  • To pretend otherwise, and to accuse everyone who points to these difficult trade-offs of bad faith, is to duck a confrontation with the deepest problems of politics and policy.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • By contrast with physical products, policymakers now tend to duck difficult conversations about what to do with addictive services or experiences like gambling and video games.
    — Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 17 July 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 engine’s inefficiencies comprise the start of what’s not quite right with the little VW.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
  • Specifically, the number of European, and specifically British voices that comprised the Fox Sports coverage.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 18 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of straddle for Spanish Speakers

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