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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Recent Examples of straddling
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 May 2026
The northernmost province in Italy, bordering Austria and Switzerland and straddling the Alps and Dolomites, Alto Adige has a dual personality.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 24 May 2026
Someone would start a cheer, others would join in, and the commotion would attract a new wave of attention, phones open to streaming apps, the entire scene straddling the line between performance and audience.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
However, Turkey, which is considered a transcontinental country (straddling Asia and Europe), has a staggering 577 Blue Flag beaches—enough for a lifetime’s worth of unforgettable summer vacations.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
Since the seventies, the famed Nuyorican Poets Café has blossomed on the Lower East Side as an essential hothouse for arts movements of many stripes, perhaps most crucially as a launching pad for an emergent literati straddling the realms of soul and hip-hop.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
But in April, a pair of cyclones straddling the equator caused the wind direction to reverse.
—Pedro Dinezio, The Conversation, 14 May 2026
The bear was eventually hit with a dart and fell asleep on top of a cinder block wall dividing two properties, its body straddling either side.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The gubernatorial candidates are straddling Trump in some kind of uneasy peace.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Gaming hardware also saw some Memorial Day discounts, and this Alienware portable is a midrange monster, straddling the gap between price and performance better than most.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 May 2026
The northernmost province in Italy, bordering Austria and Switzerland and straddling the Alps and Dolomites, Alto Adige has a dual personality.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 24 May 2026
Someone would start a cheer, others would join in, and the commotion would attract a new wave of attention, phones open to streaming apps, the entire scene straddling the line between performance and audience.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
However, Turkey, which is considered a transcontinental country (straddling Asia and Europe), has a staggering 577 Blue Flag beaches—enough for a lifetime’s worth of unforgettable summer vacations.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
Since the seventies, the famed Nuyorican Poets Café has blossomed on the Lower East Side as an essential hothouse for arts movements of many stripes, perhaps most crucially as a launching pad for an emergent literati straddling the realms of soul and hip-hop.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
But in April, a pair of cyclones straddling the equator caused the wind direction to reverse.
—Pedro Dinezio, The Conversation, 14 May 2026
The bear was eventually hit with a dart and fell asleep on top of a cinder block wall dividing two properties, its body straddling either side.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The gubernatorial candidates are straddling Trump in some kind of uneasy peace.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling
Noun
-
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
-
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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The bird, which appears unharmed, matches the description of a starling, a medium-sized perching bird with over 100 species.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
Another member of pop’s new generation, Addison Rae, was on hand to hype up the crowd while perching on the edge of the DJ booth.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Blue Origin’s training for its first human tourist flight in July 2021 consisted of a brief, 14-hour program spanning two days.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
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Kurosawa, who adapted the screenplay himself, transforms Murashige’s long last stand into four interconnected mysteries each spanning a single season.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Built from the bones of a 12th-century hostelry, its hub is a vast, glamorous lounge bar complete with mixologists shaking modern-day mocktails under the ancient beams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
José Gonzales, director of Fuerza de los Barrios (Strength of the Neighborhoods), told him their work as community activists involved shaking apple trees for their community to enjoy the fruits of their labor.—
Richard J. Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Scholarly conferences have been beset by papers with hallucinated citations, and pre-print clearinghouse arXiv has recently implemented a zero-tolerance ban policy to try to stem the problem.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
-
This ensures that your testing isn't just a series of random attacks, but a structured validation of your risk tolerance.—
Joan Vendrell,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Eager to elevate your outdoor space ahead of porch-sitting season?—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
-
The central bank’s monetary policy arm, the Federal Open Market Committee, sets rates based on current economic conditions and outlook, not the demands of a sitting president.—
Lucy Bayly,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Footage of giant yellow black-eyed Susan flowers beams onto the wall from one projector, intersecting with video of swaying plants from another.—
Solvej Schou,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
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The rise of zero-proof beverages is also intersecting with broader wellness trends reshaping drinking habits globally.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
The noise sent Wang ducking for cover.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
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Shawn Mendes stuck to his slate gray suit, sans shirt, and gamely posed for photos on the mansion’s steps before ducking down to the basement.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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