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
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
Paytas has straddled the stage, screen and podcast studio since her Broadway debut earlier this year.
—Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
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
Paytas has straddled the stage, screen and podcast studio since her Broadway debut earlier this year.
—Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddled
Verb
-
The venue, perched atop Edge — the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere at 1,131 feet — transforms the observation deck into a high-energy nightlife destination each summer.—
Abigail Park,
Billboard,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As soon as Wednesday, a four-person crew could launch on a mission to fly around the moon in an Orion capsule that's currently perched at the top of a 322-foot, orange-and-white rocket waiting at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For nearly an hour, protesters spanned both sides of the roads on the route, hitting drums and chanting, energy high, as the march continued to weave its way through the Plaza back to Mill Creek Park.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The popular reality show concept has spanned nearly a dozen locations across the United States, from Orange County, California, to New York City, gaining viewers – and loyal fans – along the way.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The snake struck and shook its tail to protect itself, releasing its notorious rattle warning.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The death of Rodarte shook the Northern California town of about 12,000, marking the city’s first officer killed in the line of duty in more than a century.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Beneath it, a man squatted on the pavement, staring at nothing in particular, a glass pipe drooping from his fingers.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Many of those Mexicans saw their property squatted on or seized by the courts of their new nation.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sean Salisbury, a former quarterback whose career intersected with Browner’s in college and the NFL, was one of many in the football community paying their respects to the four-time All-Pro player.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
With farmers in the northern hemisphere due to begin fertilizing their fields, the supply constraint has intersected with cyclical demand.—
Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Patrons ducked under available coverage to keep their tacos and arepas dry.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 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 3 Apr. 2026.
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