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
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Prosecutors say the original driver of the Genesis who Baez was straddling in the street as well as the passenger who then jumped behind the wheel may have been involved in the SUV theft.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
There’s a fine line between lucky and cursed, however, and Pulisic is straddling it.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul’s walkability comes from its layered history and dramatic setting straddling Europe and Asia.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the roughly mile-long waterfall is the dramatic centerpiece of the mighty Zambezi River, straddling the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
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
Verb
The show struggles with tonal consistency, too, awkwardly straddling the genres of revenge epic, dark comedy and domestic drama.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Prosecutors say the original driver of the Genesis who Baez was straddling in the street as well as the passenger who then jumped behind the wheel may have been involved in the SUV theft.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
There’s a fine line between lucky and cursed, however, and Pulisic is straddling it.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul’s walkability comes from its layered history and dramatic setting straddling Europe and Asia.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the roughly mile-long waterfall is the dramatic centerpiece of the mighty Zambezi River, straddling the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
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
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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Chickens are a common sight in the Yuba-Sutter region — wandering neighborhoods, perching in trees, and sometimes causing a little trouble.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Under New York law, climbing a traffic-light pole or perching on its crossbars is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The winner is almost sure to win the seat in November over token Republican opposition in the deep-blue district spanning the Upper East Side and Upper West Side that Nadler held for more than three decades.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
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In addition to the fill, there are five closed coal ash impoundments spanning 11 acres on the plant’s southwest corner, the statement said.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Add 2 ounces of water to compensate for shaking.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
In a major rupture, strong shaking could last tens of seconds to more than a minute.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Start with a low-strength over-the-counter retinol two or three nights a week and apply it over moisturizer rather than on bare skin, then build frequency as tolerance grows.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
-
Quitting cold turkey is faster and can reset tolerance in one to two weeks.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Australia began their campaign with a superb 2-0 win over Türkiye, sitting deep and springing on the counter to devastating effect to give themselves a great chance of reaching the knockout stages.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
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The last Royal visit It is believed that Saturday’s royal visit will be the first time in 100 years that a sitting monarch has stopped in Kansas City.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Each film will center on a different member of the Beatles’ point of view, intersecting to capture the band’s improbable journey from Liverpool to the center of global culture, culminating in their 1970 breakup.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund's film feels like a good novel, with art, crime, love, and squalor all intersecting in a cohesive story that manages to astonish.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Otherwise, Makar will be wincing through pain trying to explain the unfathomable, Blackwood will be dropping F-bombs in disbelief and MacKinnon will be ducking reporters despite being the team’s best player.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
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Now, 25 games and 577 days since the injury that put his career in jeopardy, there was All on the Bengals’ practice fields, cutting and accelerating, extending for receptions and ducking into blocking assignments.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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