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
Six Flags is parent company to Carowinds, the 400-acre amusement park that straddles the border between the Carolinas.
—
Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2025
One of those pitchers straddles both challenges as a two-way player.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Built in 1923, Memorial Stadium straddles the Hayward Fault in Berkeley’s Strawberry Canyon and sits directly adjacent to homes on Panoramic Hill.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The bar somehow straddles the line between regular’s haunt and tourist attraction.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025
Mount Everest, which reaches 29,000 feet and straddles the border between China and Nepal.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Death Valley National Park straddles the California–Nevada border.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025
The man straddles your dad and brings his legs around his torso.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Via visual gags, a cast of gifted comic actors and a script that pulls both from ’80s and ’90s TV movies and screen classics like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2025
One of those pitchers straddles both challenges as a two-way player.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Built in 1923, Memorial Stadium straddles the Hayward Fault in Berkeley’s Strawberry Canyon and sits directly adjacent to homes on Panoramic Hill.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The bar somehow straddles the line between regular’s haunt and tourist attraction.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025
Mount Everest, which reaches 29,000 feet and straddles the border between China and Nepal.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Death Valley National Park straddles the California–Nevada border.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025
The man straddles your dad and brings his legs around his torso.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Via visual gags, a cast of gifted comic actors and a script that pulls both from ’80s and ’90s TV movies and screen classics like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddles
Verb
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The Ringed Kingfisher perches up to 30 feet above the surface, watching for medium-size fish and then plunging in headfirst with a mighty splash.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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And frequent appearances by a pigeon that perches on her windowsill like a Greek chorus, mocking her self-abasement and growing detachment from reality, seem a tad heavy-handed.—
Book Marks
August 28,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The chat also spans the creator economy, the concept behind streamer-for-all service Joyn and his views on market-changing deals such as Netflix and TF1‘s channels and streaming pact in France.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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Our list of sci-fi horror novels spans from 20th-century classics to modern masterpieces, all testing how far humanity goes before reason falters and horror takes over.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The brand’s vegan protein shakes have a coconut-milk base and come in 20-gram, 26-gram, and 32-gram varieties, but the 20-gram seems to be the easiest to find.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Oct. 2025
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Occasional use of those protein powders isn’t as concerning as a person making protein shakes three times a day.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite being in just his eighth season in Toronto, Tavares already sits 13th in franchise history in goals.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Brown is running against Redford for the Zone 3 seat, which sits generally east of Eagle Road and south of Chinden on the Meridian-Boise border.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tasha Mousseau, vice president of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, told KOSU there is existing food insecurity in rural communities and tribal nations, which intersects with the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
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The two showers are essentially one and the same; Earth intersects a single, broad stream of meteoroids at two places in its orbit on opposite sides of the sun.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sun ducks down and sets Conejo Mountain against warm pinks and purples, transforming the ridgeline into an epic silhouette.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Dignitaries would climb up Bab al Silsilah, a narrow limestone street that ducks under an arched gate.—
Ryan Byrnes,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Today, Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis, which sprawls across the plateau above the white terraces, are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site that pulls in busloads of visitors.—
Barry Neild,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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Inside each camp, sprawls of rickety structures covered with olive-green military tarps housed anywhere from 500 to 3,000 people.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The rest of the song fails to answer these questions and evades reference to anything else internet-y, focusing instead on litigating receipts and affairs.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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Neither Father Burke or Sister Irene realize it at the end of the movie, but Valak evades banishment by possessing Frenchie.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddles. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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