1
as in perches
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 spans
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 shakes
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 straddles
The Tijuana River Valley, which straddles the border, has been overrun for decades by untreated wastewater and sewage, forcing border towns like Imperial Beach and Chula Vista to intermittently close its beaches due to pollution.
—
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
The gulf between their two worlds is wide, and Jude straddles it with wide-ranging intellect and his characteristic impish wit, while also telling a surprisingly heartfelt story about the lengths to which a mother will go for love.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 11 June 2026
That result isn’t surprising given that the seat, which straddles Orange and Riverside counties, was designed last year, in part, to syphon Republican voters away from other congressional districts.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Control Resonant straddles that balance well.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 8 June 2026
RaiNao’s music straddles the mystical and the commercial.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Mansfield might just be the envy of Tarrant County suburbs — not to mention towns in Johnson and Ellis counties, which Mansfield also straddles.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2026
Whenever the superstar drops a new single, it is played nonstop on stations that focus on pop and R&B, as his work typically straddles the line between those two genres.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Jane Wickline also debuts a new song, which straddles a defense of being chronically late and an outright defiance of the idea of being on time.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
The gulf between their two worlds is wide, and Jude straddles it with wide-ranging intellect and his characteristic impish wit, while also telling a surprisingly heartfelt story about the lengths to which a mother will go for love.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 11 June 2026
That result isn’t surprising given that the seat, which straddles Orange and Riverside counties, was designed last year, in part, to syphon Republican voters away from other congressional districts.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Control Resonant straddles that balance well.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 8 June 2026
RaiNao’s music straddles the mystical and the commercial.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Mansfield might just be the envy of Tarrant County suburbs — not to mention towns in Johnson and Ellis counties, which Mansfield also straddles.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2026
Whenever the superstar drops a new single, it is played nonstop on stations that focus on pop and R&B, as his work typically straddles the line between those two genres.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Jane Wickline also debuts a new song, which straddles a defense of being chronically late and an outright defiance of the idea of being on time.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddles
Verb
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Head to Stoos, which perches on a plateau at the base of the Fronalpstock in central Switzerland.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
-
Even the squirrels in the backyard and the bird that perches on the deck are put on notice.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Charlotte’s news cycle so far this week spans a major banking leadership change, a high-stakes mayoral selection and the close of a chapter at a brand-new high school.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
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And the recipient of the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement award was Nancy Silverton, whose career spans four decades as a chef, baker, restaurateur, and author, particularly in Los Angeles with restaurants like Campanile and Osteria Mozza, and the La Brea Bakery.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Violence touched my life as a young person, and seeing our own children, parents, and neighbors go through this shakes me deeply.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
30 Nov. 2025
-
Kiffin's leaving the Rebels certainly shakes things up.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His approval rating sits at 42% in our NBC poll.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
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But your router sits between your devices and the internet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The battle over the booze escalates into a full-on war that intersects with his enemies in both New York and the FBI.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Nov. 2025
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In 2014, Federal Railroad Administration officials recommended North Miami close the crossing, which intersects Northeast 141st Street near Biscayne Boulevard — the same site as Wednesday’s accident and one of the area’s busiest thoroughfares.—
Allison Beck,
Miami Herald,
20 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In another clip, the person ducks their head while approaching the house, possibly in an attempt to shield their face from the camera's view.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
10 Feb. 2026
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In the video, the subject ducks his head in the opposite direction of the doorbell camera.—
Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Julia Bonavita , Peter D'Abrosca , Alexandra Koch , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The lawn sprawls 58,000 square feet.—
Shardaa Gray,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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The property, aptly christened Tall Timber, sprawls across an impressive 200 acres amid the San Juan National Forest.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
Verb
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And though bound together as one 10-county region, the Hudson Valley actively evades a uniform identity.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
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In March, the French navy seized an oil tanker in the Mediterranean that Macron said belonged to Russia’s shadow fleet, which comprises several hundred tankers through which Russia evades sanctions.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddles. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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