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
  • Sitake winds up practice with a prayer and insists that the defense and offense shake hands after going at one another all day.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mothers who beat, shook, shot, drowned, strangled, and stabbed their babies.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 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
  • Years later, in 2030, his story intersects with that of his daughter, who makes her own pilgrimage to the Arctic Circle amidst political and environmental upheaval.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The island has long been home to skilled ceramicists, textile makers, glassblowers, and leatherworkers, but these practices are increasingly intersecting with a more contemporary design sensibility.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 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
  • Meanwhile, the front braking setup comprises a pair of 300-mm steel discs, each working with a caliper equipped with 27-mm pistons.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The manuscript comprises the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and an assortment of other ancient historical, scholarly, and religious writings.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 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 7 Nov. 2026.

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