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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
There are now tens of thousands of jammers straddling the front lines of the war, defending against drones that are not just killing soldiers but also destroying armored vehicles, other drones, industrial infrastructure, and even tanks.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2025
Kannapolis, which straddles Cabarrus and Rowan Counties, has also proposed to maintain its current rate.
—Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 May 2025
The body of water straddles the border between Albania and North Macedonia, and it’s surrounded by ancient villages, rolling hills, and beaches.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
In one picture, which was seemingly snapped in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium, Michele smiles and straddles Groff, who holds on to her and playfully sticks his tongue out.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2025
Kannapolis, which straddles Cabarrus and Rowan Counties, has also proposed to maintain its current rate.
—Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 May 2025
The body of water straddles the border between Albania and North Macedonia, and it’s surrounded by ancient villages, rolling hills, and beaches.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
In one picture, which was seemingly snapped in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium, Michele smiles and straddles Groff, who holds on to her and playfully sticks his tongue out.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
-
Named for famous astronomer Vera Rubin, the observatory is perched on a mountain in northern Chile in the foothills of the Andes.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
-
People are perched atop the car, as well as those hanging off its side, in an impressive, partially aerial twerk.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Knox and his team’s work is an exemplar of how multidisciplinary research spanning meteorology, cartography, geography, and other social sciences disciplines can inform decisionmakers and save lives.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
-
What To Know At a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Xi announced a dozen cooperation agreements spanning green mining, trade, connectivity, personnel exchanges, and customs, according to Chinese state media.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
And beside them, Milford, Weymouth and St. John’s of Shrewsbury also shook off their sub-20 seeding to advance at least once in an all-time showing of parity.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
-
The tragedy shook the small Ohio town — and stunned viewers who remembered the Stockdale family's 2008 appearance on ABC's Wife Swap.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
Fashion has long been known to sit at the intersection of practicality and play.—
Jackson Walker,
Baltimore Sun,
19 June 2025
-
For six years, the building that once housed The Coffee Cup, a beloved neighborhood diner in St. Paul’s North End, sat empty.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
And this economic revolution is intersecting with AI, our most explosive technological revolution maybe ever.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
How does this responsibility intersect with their roles as entertainers?—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Some kids have ducked under the rope line to sit in deep crevices in the base of the trunk.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
-
The witness ducked down and then looked up; Nichols was staring at the witness.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Such costs comprised a shade under a quarter of club revenues last year.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
North America comprised 29 percent of sake’s total export value, which proved a dominant drive of the category’s global expansion.—
Jillian Dara,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share