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
Now, Midtown’s 1.6 million-square-foot statement piece, a 47-story limestone monolith straddling 49th and 50th streets from Park to Lexington avenues, is back with a $2 billion polish.
—
Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
Let this serve as a lesson for legacy artists trying to straddle those lines between chart wins and acclaim: Don’t chase it.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 21 July 2025
Meanwhile, other treatments seem to straddle the line between valid and absurd.
—Andrew Paul Jul 17, Popular Science, 17 July 2025
Luckily, there’s no shortage of top pool accessories to shop online that straddle the line between luxe and useable, while lasting for many seasons of warm-weather fun.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
Let this serve as a lesson for legacy artists trying to straddle those lines between chart wins and acclaim: Don’t chase it.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 21 July 2025
Meanwhile, other treatments seem to straddle the line between valid and absurd.
—Andrew Paul Jul 17, Popular Science, 17 July 2025
Luckily, there’s no shortage of top pool accessories to shop online that straddle the line between luxe and useable, while lasting for many seasons of warm-weather fun.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
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Most scenic brewery: On the slopes of the White Mountains, perched above the Ammonoosuc River, occupying a 19th-century grist mill, Schilling Beer is impossibly picturesque.—
Peter Rowe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
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Fishing villages, however, cling to rugged coasts—their red cabins perched between sea and stone, drying cod hanging from wooden racks.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On the Atlantic coast of France, Les Sables d'Olonne spans miles and miles of sandy beaches; plenty of room to stroll without many clothes.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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The categories range from the genuinely thoughtful to the completely ridiculous, with nominees spanning everything from beloved celebrities to McDonald’s breakfast items, which is exactly the kind of cultural commentary that makes Las Culturistas so uniquely entertaining.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Han shook off criticisms of the small ring by also noting that both Belly and Jeremiah are college students on a budget.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Netflix is back out looking for a director for Fast and Loose, after Michael Bay and Will Smith were unable to bridge creative differences and Bay shook loose of the film Wednesday.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But the court, sitting en banc—that is, all eleven active judges present—is soon expected to pass judgment on a defining, and deeply disruptive, feature of the second Trump Presidency.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
6 Aug. 2025
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An avatar for good and an embodiment of evil sit face-to-face, locked in an eternal clash of wills.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The neighborhoods intersect with the Monon Trail, an extensive bike and pedestrian trail that runs through the city.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Aug. 2025
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That warmth, however, intersected with the chaotic subculture emerging around the film’s production, one rife with drug use.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Luckily, Tanner and his fellow chasers had already ducked down into their seats.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Her ability to duck in and overpower her defender was the advantage Seattle couldn’t overcome.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Humanity bestrides the planet, explores the cosmos, and continues to reshape itself because humans are the world’s most inventive, adaptable animal.—
Nicholas Eberstadt,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Oct. 2024
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The United States will once again bestride the world like a colossus deterring enemies and making other nations safe from the likes of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.—
Armstrong Williams,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The Academy Foundation Board comprises 12 trustees who also are members of the Academy Board of Governors.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
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Costa Navarino comprises four hotels: The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, W Costa Navarino, and Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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