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
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
March Adolescence went from low-key British original on Netflix to globe-straddling giant in March 2025.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025
Separately, the measles outbreak largely straddling the border between Arizona and Utah also continues to swell.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025
But straddling the Chattahoochee River between Alabama and Georgia, pretty far south, is Lane Cake country.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Children from blue-collar warrens straddling the road strutted about.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
The motel sits within city limits straddling the area splitting North Highlands and Arden Arcade.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
As Jaramillo was on top of Rustrian, straddling him, Rustrian grabbed Jaramillo’s gun and shot him several times, the video showed and Cordero-Stutz confirmed.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Also straddling the rock-alternative divide are Baltimore hardcore outfit Turnstile.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
Askar took control of the 467,000-square-foot tower straddling the Frog Hollow and Parkville neighborhoods in early 2020.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
March Adolescence went from low-key British original on Netflix to globe-straddling giant in March 2025.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025
Separately, the measles outbreak largely straddling the border between Arizona and Utah also continues to swell.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025
But straddling the Chattahoochee River between Alabama and Georgia, pretty far south, is Lane Cake country.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Children from blue-collar warrens straddling the road strutted about.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
The motel sits within city limits straddling the area splitting North Highlands and Arden Arcade.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
As Jaramillo was on top of Rustrian, straddling him, Rustrian grabbed Jaramillo’s gun and shot him several times, the video showed and Cordero-Stutz confirmed.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Also straddling the rock-alternative divide are Baltimore hardcore outfit Turnstile.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling
Noun
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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
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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
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Other photos show it while perching on the plant.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
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TikTok users were able to see two cats perching over a bathroom sink, which had been filled with tap water.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Oasi Zegna is a territory spanning more than 62 miles and its colors and mood are also a source of inspiration for artistic director Alessandro Sartori, who has been developing the sustainable Oasi Cashmere and staged some shows there.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The building, spanning more than 516,000 square feet, includes 25 floors of office and commercial space, as well as a 348-stall parking ramp.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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While Bryant was able to come from behind, the Lady Hornets had a hard time shaking off the Lady Warriors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Poyer, who was one of McDermott’s first acquisitions with the Bills and has been with him every season since except 2024, says his coach has more tolerance now than in his early days as a head coach.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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In this city famous for its tolerance, culture, and understated Dutch cool, romance is always in the air.—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On that date, a bus driver called police to complain that two Black girls were sitting near two White girls in violation of segregation laws, according to the Associated Press.—
Adam Carlson,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Now most of these properties are sitting vacant.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Court records show DeFoor has faced multiple criminal cases in Hamilton County in recent years, with each proceeding intersecting with findings related to his mental competency.—
Stephen Sorace , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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Optical atomic clocks, which use intersecting laser beams to entrap and monitor the atoms, are currently accurate down to 1 attosecond, or a billionth of a billionth of a second.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Midday was for ducking into a family-run lodge for miso ramen or chicken katsu, the kind of spot where the windows fog up and the air smells of rich broth.—
Denny Lee,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Dec. 2025
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Admittedly, there would be no upside in ducking the question.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
13 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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