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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of straddle
Puck reported that the staffer accused Murray of straddling her near a prop bed on set and kissing her on the mouth through the face masks that both were wearing under COVID-19 protocols.
—
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Billed as Sublime with Rome, the project straddled the line between tribute act and reinvention.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Abbotsford straddles Clark and Marathon counties.
—Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The video, which bears a watermark suggesting it was livestreamed on the video platform Kick, showed Jackson straddling Smith before repeatedly punching him in the face and the side of his head, even when Smith was lying motionless.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Billed as Sublime with Rome, the project straddled the line between tribute act and reinvention.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Abbotsford straddles Clark and Marathon counties.
—Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The video, which bears a watermark suggesting it was livestreamed on the video platform Kick, showed Jackson straddling Smith before repeatedly punching him in the face and the side of his head, even when Smith was lying motionless.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
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Most guests, however, will stay at the main hotel, perched atop a hill overlooking both courses and the endless sea beyond.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Harris perched like a dancer in her hammocks, tilting toward her model’s shoulders, a beatific expression on her face.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Laser-like light that spans a wide range of frequencies is a powerful tool for science and industry.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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The band’s ninth studio album has been restored, remastered and expanded with an additional 25 bonus tracks, spanning alternate studio takes and live recordings by the famed bootlegger Mike Millard at Pink Floyd’s Los Angeles Sports Arena concert on April 26, 1975.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On back-to-back pass plays, though, Ward held the ball too long and couldn’t shake the Broncos’ pass rush, resulting in back-to-back sacks that took the Titans outside field goal range.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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After a while, the lady shook her head.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The case then sat unsolved for years, until recent advances in forensic genetic DNA technology would become critical to this investigation.—
Claire Lempert,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Bonneville, sitting behind her, grabbed her hand for the last 15 minutes and didn’t let go.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s when the moon’s orbital path around Earth intersects the path the sun takes through the sky.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Movies involving and primarily about three women intersecting have been a longtime staple.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In theory, a hesitation such as this shows the ace -- the defender was not ready for your play and was not sure whether to duck or not.—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
31 Aug. 2025
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Some instinctively ducked, covered their classmates or followed teachers’ directions.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sovereignty, the Triple Crown Class of 2025’s Derby and Belmont victor and Saratoga-man-of-the-minute, bestrides the ultra-short Travers Stakes field of five as an undisputed equine colossus.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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The film depicts a world where the Four are something like the Beatles, the Kennedys, the Curies, and the Brady Bunch all in one, a globe-bestriding celebrity family responsible for staving off supernatural threats and, seemingly, establishing world peace.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The collection comprises apparel and accessories.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cast comprises Hanad Abdi (Little America), Elmi Rashid Elmi (The Swimmers), Saman Hasan (Ramadan America) and Muna Abdulahi (The Mole).—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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