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
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
At the moment his career is straddling middle ground.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
Sensationally straddling the unspoiled valleys of the Indian Himalayan foothills, Prana also works as a stand-alone or unique private rental for small groups.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Bryan straddling the political center reflects the disjointed desires of a nation that polls consistently inconsistent on issues, one that in 2024 yearned for both universal health care and the removal of hardworking longtime residents.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
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
Goodland, is south of Mansfield, straddling Johnson and Ellis counties.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
At the moment his career is straddling middle ground.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
Sensationally straddling the unspoiled valleys of the Indian Himalayan foothills, Prana also works as a stand-alone or unique private rental for small groups.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Bryan straddling the political center reflects the disjointed desires of a nation that polls consistently inconsistent on issues, one that in 2024 yearned for both universal health care and the removal of hardworking longtime residents.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
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
Goodland, is south of Mansfield, straddling Johnson and Ellis counties.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 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
-
The Magic missed 23 consecutive shots spanning the third and fourth quarters.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
One of the few standouts in the group this season has been senior Lyndon Glidewell, who has gone nine consecutive appearances spanning 11 2/3 innings without allowing a run and has allowed just three runs total in 16 innings of work in ACC play.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Verb
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This is the kind of car that would be a treat to see stateside – and likely one that will have American automakers shaking in their boots.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 May 2026
-
Redick said, when going back into the rolodex of his career, that shaking off the rust – as Reaves is doing right now – can have different results depending on the scenario.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Be sure to weigh costs, storage needs and risk tolerance before making a decision.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
This can be accomplished by offering temporary assistance with qualified providers combined with zero-tolerance enforcement of existing anti-camping laws.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
It’s located a little more than 30 minutes east of Tampa, sitting farther inland than Land O’ Lakes.—
Megan Vaz,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
Most nursing school graduates are routinely approved, but over the past three years, the board has stopped hundreds of people with diplomas from Operation Nightingale schools from sitting for the exam.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
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And online, orange lights are intersecting with the trend to paper lanterns.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
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That makes sense, especially intersecting with Homelander’s own quasi-religious journey taking shape this season.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, Griffin appears to lunge at Manetta, who evades him by ducking behind a column on the platform.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
Members of the audience are seen ducking under tables.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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