1
as in perched
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 spanned
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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3
as in shook
to agree with or seem to agree with two opposite sides of (something)
The politician straddled the issue for weeks.
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Recent Examples of straddled
Then came last year’s The Most Dear and The Future, a slender collection of tracks that straddled a line between pop, ambient, folk, and dance with an air of rustic mysticism that seemed to travel through music circles like gossip bursting from localized containment.
—
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
The song's music video, filmed on the USS Missouri, was the first ever to be banned from MTV, because the superstar straddled a cannon on the battleship and also wore a barely-there, now-iconic leotard.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
Her husband then climbed on top of her and straddled her with his legs across her waist.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Another is the rise in millennials, straddled by student loan debt and lower wages than their parents, moving out later or moving back home after school.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath, the first-run leader, straddled a gate and was out.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Guthrie’s street straddled a light green and a light orange section.
—Sarah Lapidus, AZCentral.com, 12 Feb. 2026
In Latakia, a giant bronze figure was knocked over and then dragged through the streets as people straddled its head like a Jet Ski.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
The Toronto Maple Leafs have typically straddled the limits of the NHL’s dress code.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
The song's music video, filmed on the USS Missouri, was the first ever to be banned from MTV, because the superstar straddled a cannon on the battleship and also wore a barely-there, now-iconic leotard.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
Her husband then climbed on top of her and straddled her with his legs across her waist.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Another is the rise in millennials, straddled by student loan debt and lower wages than their parents, moving out later or moving back home after school.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath, the first-run leader, straddled a gate and was out.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Guthrie’s street straddled a light green and a light orange section.
—Sarah Lapidus, AZCentral.com, 12 Feb. 2026
In Latakia, a giant bronze figure was knocked over and then dragged through the streets as people straddled its head like a Jet Ski.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
The Toronto Maple Leafs have typically straddled the limits of the NHL’s dress code.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddled
Verb
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The world’s most famous blonde bombshell, perched on playground equipment, absorbed in a book.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
An 18th-century fortress perched in the Aravali Hills, surrounded by winding roads and sweeping valley views.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series.—
Jaclyn Hendricks,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
Following Epstein's death in custody in July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York investigating possible collaborators engaged in discussions with Kellen and her attorneys that spanned more than a year.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Tolle shook off his short last outing and did his part to keep the Orioles off the board.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
That famous summer, at the fireworks in Versailles, every streaking green flame shook a sheet of light across the crowd sitting on blankets on the lawns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Eventually, Betty stopped and squatted.—
Gabriel Debenedetti,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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As catcher Dillon Dingler got down in his catching stance, Hinch squatted and leaned against a fence off to the side.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This is how sports betting and athletes have intersected for much of the past six months.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
The project interviewed forty artists about their lives, their work, and how the AIDS crisis intersected and permeated both.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The nurse told investigators Samuelson saved his life, and according to court documents, surveillance video also shows that immediately after the nurse ducked into the hallway to get away from Grafton, Samuelson stopped moving and appeared motionless.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
-
So the team and I immediately dropped to the ground, ducked and covered.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Levi Jones, a 33-year-old business owner, pulled up to Sacred Eye Tattoos in Hollywood last week and sat for eight hours getting a photorealistic black-and-white portrait of Mangione on his leg.—
Amanda Rosa,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
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The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
24 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Straddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddled. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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