as in fence-sitting
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straddling
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Van Rijn, Brand later discovered, was straddling two sides.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
Mary Bronstein’s movie defies genres, straddling domestic drama, thriller and comedy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Goodland, is south of Mansfield, straddling Johnson and Ellis counties.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
And straddling it were the Mexicans and the gringos, like two children, eyes shut, their backs to each other, while the Apaches scuttled back and forth between their legs, not sure where to go with strangers bubbling up everywhere, filling their lands.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The whole season was about Maddie straddling two worlds.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
The legislation comes as transgender Kansas Citians are straddling two states that have sought to restrict their rights.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
But Jackson stood his ground, straddling a line between his role as a rising Democratic Party figure, and as the independent interlocutor who found success in his ability to operate outside strict government lines.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
Such is the fine line Erik Spoelstra’s team is straddling between playoffs and lottery.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Van Rijn, Brand later discovered, was straddling two sides.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
Mary Bronstein’s movie defies genres, straddling domestic drama, thriller and comedy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Goodland, is south of Mansfield, straddling Johnson and Ellis counties.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
And straddling it were the Mexicans and the gringos, like two children, eyes shut, their backs to each other, while the Apaches scuttled back and forth between their legs, not sure where to go with strangers bubbling up everywhere, filling their lands.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The whole season was about Maddie straddling two worlds.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
The legislation comes as transgender Kansas Citians are straddling two states that have sought to restrict their rights.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
But Jackson stood his ground, straddling a line between his role as a rising Democratic Party figure, and as the independent interlocutor who found success in his ability to operate outside strict government lines.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling
Noun
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Lower mortgage rates will spur some fence-sitting buyers into action and increase sales volumes over last year.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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The department recommends staggering bloom times to make sure hummingbirds have a food source for the entire season, as well as providing a source of water and trees or tall shrubs for nesting and perching.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish voters across the country, spanning a range of political ideologies, ages, and backgrounds, many described feeling increasingly disconnected from both parties.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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Formed in Berlin, the Notos Quartett is known for its wide-ranging repertoire, spanning classical masterworks, rediscovered treasures and contemporary compositions.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip back into bowl.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Doncic yelled at the crowd and ran down court shaking his head.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fort Lauderdale police have stepped up patrols for the city's annual spring break, focusing on maintaining order with a strict no-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol on the beach.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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The tolerance of drugs use led to dealers using Christiania as a base for selling drugs and in turn that led to violent battles by biker gangs for control of that business.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rollicking Japanese City Pop era tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s keep energy levels up; on Sundays, off-duty geiko or maiko may be sitting at a cozy banquette nearby—they’re given a discount to encourage a local patronage, too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
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The offices of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance had people of all ages on Wednesday night waiting for the end of the nightly Ramadan fast, from children sitting at tables doing math homework to cab drivers just getting off their shifts.—
Katherine Koretski,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But faculty say the fields are broad, intersecting with health, disability studies, literature, education, information studies and public policy.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
22 Feb. 2026
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Adapting and expanding upon a lean Don Winslow novella, Layton adds many sometimes unnecessarily complex ingredients to the pot, with characters intersecting and allegiances and motivations often contradicting one another.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jared McCain, a trade deadline steal from the tax-ducking 76ers, knocked down two 3s in the last four minutes.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
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Selling Garland was less about his abilities as an individual contributor and less about ducking his no-move clause, which kicks in on July 1, and more about Vancouver leaning into leaguewide interest in Garland and cleaning up its books overall with an eye toward long-term planning.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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