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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straddles
The space straddles romance and brutalism and was renovated by the CSMN Architects design firm.
—
Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026
Sapporo's residents are no less obsessed with onsen culture than other Japanese, as Elijah and I discovered during an overnight trip to Jozankei, which straddles a scenic ravine over the Toyohira River near Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, a 45-minute drive from central Sapporo.
—Alex Halberstadt, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Heavenly straddles the California-Nevada border on the south side of Lake Tahoe, near South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, Nevada.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Part of the intrigue comes from the way gold straddles two worlds.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Head to Anna’s, which straddles the line between bohemian arts enclave and hipster hangout, and take a tour through a menu of delicious small plates.
—Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Today, the money and dirt tracks of Riyadh provide a showcase for American and Japanese contenders, while Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s Godolphin outfit straddles world racing from its Meydan (UAE) and Newmarket (UK) bases.
—Camilla Wright, semafor.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Strawberry beige Like a glass of Veuve Clicquot garnished with berries, this strawberry-beige color straddles the line between upscale polish and whimsy.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
The 210-acre land mass mostly surrounds the future Costco, which is expected to open in the latter half of the year, and straddles the southern edge of City of Oconomowoc and the Village of Summit.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026
Sapporo's residents are no less obsessed with onsen culture than other Japanese, as Elijah and I discovered during an overnight trip to Jozankei, which straddles a scenic ravine over the Toyohira River near Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, a 45-minute drive from central Sapporo.
—Alex Halberstadt, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Heavenly straddles the California-Nevada border on the south side of Lake Tahoe, near South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, Nevada.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Part of the intrigue comes from the way gold straddles two worlds.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Head to Anna’s, which straddles the line between bohemian arts enclave and hipster hangout, and take a tour through a menu of delicious small plates.
—Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Today, the money and dirt tracks of Riyadh provide a showcase for American and Japanese contenders, while Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s Godolphin outfit straddles world racing from its Meydan (UAE) and Newmarket (UK) bases.
—Camilla Wright, semafor.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Strawberry beige Like a glass of Veuve Clicquot garnished with berries, this strawberry-beige color straddles the line between upscale polish and whimsy.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
The 210-acre land mass mostly surrounds the future Costco, which is expected to open in the latter half of the year, and straddles the southern edge of City of Oconomowoc and the Village of Summit.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddles
Verb
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Even the squirrels in the backyard and the bird that perches on the deck are put on notice.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
10 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Four Democrats are locked in a race to fill a vacant General Assembly seat for the remainder of 2026 and the chance to immediately run for reelection as an incumbent in the district that spans parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Given the average data center spans the size of a Manhattan city block — or London’s Trafalgar Square — an underground concrete shelter of that size might go for $200 million, and that’s before factoring the costs to cover energy, cooling, and servers.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Texas starter Citlaly Gutierrez shakes it off and doesn't allow another hit, but the Cougars draw first blood.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
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The shop also offers coffee drinks, milk shakes, banana pudding and ice cream cookie sandwiches.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Fontaine sits adjacent to the main stretches and perfectly mirrors that Old World look with a dose of modern shine.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Nationally, the percentage of fourth graders considered proficient in reading sits just above 30%, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card.—
MAKIYA SEMINERA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When unpredictability intersects with race, disability and trauma, preparation is essential.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
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This dynamic also intersects with broader investment trends.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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According to the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS), at least 99 people have died since October 2025, mostly in the Alps — the mountain range that serves as the continent’s skiing hub and sprawls across several countries including France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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The metro sprawls across two states and multiple counties, each running its own assessment playbook.—
Allison Palmer
Updated February 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But how does one set out to write a biography about the creation of an author who not only can’t be reached, but actively evades the spotlight?—
Costa Beavin Pappas,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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The result is contrasting, suited for a composition that evades singular meaning.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddles. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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