1
as in perching
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 spanning
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 shaking
to agree with or seem to agree with two opposite sides of (something)
The politician straddled the issue for weeks.
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as in fence-sitting
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Recent Examples of straddling
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The video, which bears a watermark suggesting it was livestreamed on the video platform Kick, showed Jackson straddling Smith before repeatedly punching him in the face and the side of his head, even when Smith was lying motionless.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
The deep alpine lake straddling the state lines of California and Nevada needs no introduction—Lake Tahoe’s sparkling, cobalt blue waters and sweeping Sierra Nevada mountain views have been mesmerizing people for centuries.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
The White Tower in Nadur boasts routes up to grade 8a as well as the perfect photo opportunity straddling the gap between two slabs.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
In a world increasingly defined by digital noise and cultural divisions, two contemporary artists from different traditions—Yi Ming in Shanghai and Adetona Omokanye straddling Lagos and Toronto—are anchoring their work in ancestral knowledge and spirituality.
—Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend National Park, which boasts Bortle 1 night skies, is part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which in 2022 became the only Dark Sky Reserve straddling the international border with Mexico.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
For its first official ad campaign, billed as a peek into its creative process, fashion’s favorite niche wine label Katkoot is straddling raw Millennial glamour and the celebration of craftsmanship.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2025
Somehow, Gina and Emily have become the Switzerland of the group, straddling the divide with no one hating them.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Puck reported that the staffer accused Murray of straddling her near a prop bed on set and kissing her on the mouth through the face masks that both were wearing under COVID-19 protocols.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The video, which bears a watermark suggesting it was livestreamed on the video platform Kick, showed Jackson straddling Smith before repeatedly punching him in the face and the side of his head, even when Smith was lying motionless.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
The deep alpine lake straddling the state lines of California and Nevada needs no introduction—Lake Tahoe’s sparkling, cobalt blue waters and sweeping Sierra Nevada mountain views have been mesmerizing people for centuries.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
The White Tower in Nadur boasts routes up to grade 8a as well as the perfect photo opportunity straddling the gap between two slabs.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
In a world increasingly defined by digital noise and cultural divisions, two contemporary artists from different traditions—Yi Ming in Shanghai and Adetona Omokanye straddling Lagos and Toronto—are anchoring their work in ancestral knowledge and spirituality.
—Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend National Park, which boasts Bortle 1 night skies, is part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which in 2022 became the only Dark Sky Reserve straddling the international border with Mexico.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
For its first official ad campaign, billed as a peek into its creative process, fashion’s favorite niche wine label Katkoot is straddling raw Millennial glamour and the celebration of craftsmanship.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2025
Somehow, Gina and Emily have become the Switzerland of the group, straddling the divide with no one hating them.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling
Verb
-
There have been many previous perching drone designs, but these typically have hooks or grasping claws to hold on to branches or powerlines, or use magnets or gecko-like feet to attach to vertical surfaces.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Her work, spanning sharp menswear, collaborations with Adidas, and exhibitions at major art institutions, blurs the line between fashion, music, and literature.—
Karissa Mitchell,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Kapil Kajal Kapil Kajal is an award-winning journalist with a diverse portfolio spanning defense, politics, technology, crime, environment, human rights, and foreign policy.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Practice rounds sometimes turn into showcases of raw talent, the kind that leave teammates shaking their heads at the sound off his club face.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Police alleged that the brain bleed was consistent with shaking an infant.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There’s merit in seeing both sides of an argument, but there’s no honor in fence-sitting forever, which is Alex’s fatal flaw.—
Anusha Praturu,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
And then there’s Morton, who entered the game against the ChiSox sitting at 199 – nine more than fearsome lefty Randy Johnson, 13 more than crafty knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and 29 more than award namesake Cy Young – thanks to four HBPs as a Tiger.—
Ryan Ford,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Greece is one of the most seismically active countries in Europe, sitting atop the complex boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Movies involving and primarily about three women intersecting have been a longtime staple.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
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Of course, the creators are honored, with Shuster Drive intersecting with South Siegel Street.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Videos of the shooting show witnesses screaming in horror and ducking for cover after the bullet struck Kirk in the neck.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Then, everyone started ducking down.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 311 Notre Dame students surveyed reflected a noticeable drop in political tolerance and an increase in self-censorship, FIRE said.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Ensure your partners share your long-term vision, ethics and risk tolerance.—
Steve Taplin,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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