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 The tower is to fill the West Hollywood portion of the former Cemex Hollywood Concrete Plant site, which straddles the city border with Los Angeles. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 For me, the iPhone Duo straddles a similar line between the iPhone and the iPad. — ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026 The logistical complications of a facility that straddles the border are unavoidable. — Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026 Meta has primarily marketed its agent toward consumers, while OpenAI's product straddles both the enterprise and consumer markets. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 21 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
  • The urban retreat will be perched in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur (in the Golden Triangle District, a cultural hot spot in the metropolis) and will be home to only suites—268, to be exact.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2026
  • That area is itself two levels, with a dining room perched over a sunken living area with a massive fireplace whose stones Jaffe hand-selected from a Tennessee quarry.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of perch
Verb
  • The district spans most of Tarrant County north of Interstate 30 and the western edge of the county, including parts of Benbrook.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The district, spanning some 900 square miles, is the largest in the country, and the majority of its 200,000 students are low-income.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of span
Verb
  • Soon after, a warden shook Guardado and shouted his name, but got no response and a medic then pronounced him dead.
    — KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ueno Bank’s failure has locked nearly half the country’s 6 million people out of their savings, shaking a country long viewed as one of South America’s more stable economies.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • But the end of daylight saving time also means an earlier sunset, which doesn't always sit right with people.
    — Amanda Callahan, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In this room, with white carpet, marble arches and marble skirting, church members sit and quietly meditate or pray beneath a crystal chandelier.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of sit
Verb
  • On my first day in town, our route intersects that of a lunchtime protest march.
    — Fred A. Bernstein, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Lloyd and Wash never intersected — Wash served as the defensive coordinator there from 2016 to 2020, leaving two years prior to Lloyd’s drafting — but Lloyd heard flattering stories from his friends and teammates.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of intersect
Verb
  • Singer said his opponent was ducking debates; Moskowitz said two was plenty.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The scientists ducked as the boat floated beneath a rusty drawbridge, completed in 1911 and designed by Joseph Strauss, the Golden Gate Bridge’s chief engineer.
    — Robert Sullivan, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 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
  • Detroit fans, wearing blue T-shirts and jerseys, might have comprised 50%, and possibly more, of the fans at Hard Rock Stadium.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
  • This may have comprised safeguards for and an expansion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
    — Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

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