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
-
The Hippie Tree — a giant eucalyptus perched at the top of a dusty hill — is a quick jaunt from downtown.—
Nora Heston Tarte,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
-
Once a no-frills staple perched at the edge of the marina, the new version will nod to its roots while refining the experience.—
Jesse Scott,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Not only was there money everywhere, but their scholarships came with an agreement that spanned a lifetime to complete their degree, facilities that in most instances put those of the NFL to shame, and a rolodex their fellow collegians would have given anything for.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
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.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Her plea will spare a lengthy discovery period and likely mark the legal denouement of a federal probe that shook Sacramento after the FBI recorded dozens of lobbyists in the summer of 2024 as part of the investigation.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
-
The writer-director sets her sophomore feature barely two years after the country shook off the despot’s iron grip.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 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
-
For years, motherhood and fashion have existed in parallel but rarely intersected in a meaningful way.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
-
This rotating exhibition highlights eight artist pairings, each of which features two figures whose trajectories intersected at a key moment.—
Washington Post staff,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Emily tried to nudge her daughter closer, but Henley pivoted and ducked behind her legs.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
1 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
-
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 24 May. 2026.
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