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
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
-
For the meantime, drones cannot match birds in agility, endurance, co-ordination or perching.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
This is a series where Bond himself might employ a laser watch or jet pack or an amphibious car, while technologies like gene therapy and orbital weapons are typically reserved for the villains in this globe-spanning drama.—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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At the heart of the system are three modular hexagonal floating platforms spanning a combined footprint of nearly 12,900 square feet.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
With Arena Monterrey shaking, El Grande II hit a flying clothesline for a nearfall.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
YouTubers in their 20s are shaking things up in Hollywood.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Be sure to weigh costs, storage needs and risk tolerance before making a decision.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Park officials cite zero-tolerance ride safety rules banning all loose articles — even snacks.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The person sitting between Sajani and Suvali, Reshma, stepped up to be Sasmita.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
29 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
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Surveillance video obtained by Fox 13 Seattle showed men ducking behind vehicles and exchanging gunfire in the street as bullets ripped through the neighborhood.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
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The noise sent Wang ducking for cover.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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