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
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
The hero of the book’s first section is the sixteenth-century Spanish priest and writer Bartolomé de las Casas, who straddled the Old World and the New, issuing startling moral novelties to both.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
Purdy correctly straddled the line on the play between being safe and taking a shot.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
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
The hero of the book’s first section is the sixteenth-century Spanish priest and writer Bartolomé de las Casas, who straddled the Old World and the New, issuing startling moral novelties to both.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
Purdy correctly straddled the line on the play between being safe and taking a shot.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddled
Verb
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Inside the fairgrounds she’s known as Venus Electrificata, a flapper femme fatale perched atop a low-voltage platform, ready to deliver a mild shock to any punter willing to spend a few francs for a kiss.—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
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The witness stand, where Altman is perched, is right next to Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ seat.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The dispute, which has spanned three mayoral administrations going back to at least 2021, has now hit a breaking point.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
-
The operation spanned continents and involved coordinated efforts by law enforcement and tech companies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Their struggles are why Buster Posey shook things up by calling up Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
-
Eventually, the Thunder shook off the rust from an eight-day break and went up 31-26 at the end of the first quarter, despite 12 points from James.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Eventually, Betty stopped and squatted.—
Gabriel Debenedetti,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
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
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Federal prosecutors presented a sweeping case — one that ran parallel to and intersected with a still-unresolved sprawling investigation by Haitian authorities, who have charged more than 50 suspects, including the former first lady, Martine Moïse.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
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Both candidates placed a premium on building the district’s roads, particularly west of the interstate where the area is still largely intersected by farm to market roads built for the area’s agrarian past.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The audio journalism winner was the staff of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, which investigated how the Los Angeles Clippers basketball organization seemingly ducked the NBA salary cap rule by paying its star forward, Kawhi Leonard, extra money via an endorsement deal.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
4 May 2026
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Emily tried to nudge her daughter closer, but Henley pivoted and ducked behind her legs.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
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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 14 May. 2026.
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