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
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
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
Verb
The primary to represent the upstate New York district, which stretches from the Canadian border to straddling the northern Albany suburbs, became increasingly bitter as Constantino and Smullen threatened legal action against each other over claims made during the campaign.
—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
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
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.
-
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.
Verb
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Even a swooping hawk couldn’t resist perching on a tree overlooking the makeshift stage.
-
Chickens are a common sight in the Yuba-Sutter region — wandering neighborhoods, perching in trees, and sometimes causing a little trouble.
Verb
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The Colorado attorney general oversees more than 700 attorneys and staff and manages legal manners spanning consumer protection, civil rights, criminal, water, constitutional and environmental law.
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The announcement came after South Korea announced on Monday three massive investment projects spanning semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers.
Verb
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Right now, that faith is shaking as a wave of cruelty sweeps through our communities.
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With more shaking or churning, these grains grow and separate from the watery, naturally low-fat buttermilk.
Noun
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The common thread across all three practices is not a tolerance for uncertainty, but rather a resistance to institutional gravity that demands premature resolution.
-
The painting has undergone extensive restoration, removing overpainting by other hands and revealing imagery that, experts say, may have articulated a message of religious tolerance in a moment of social tensions arising partly from a refugee crisis.
Verb
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Trump had campaigned on restricting birthright citizenship, arguing that the citizenship clause had been misinterpreted, and attended the April 2026 oral arguments in a first for a sitting president.
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Team mentality spurs decisions The A’s were sitting at 40-44 heading into Tuesday, three games out of the American League West lead and 2 1/2 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot.
Verb
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With 24 main characters interwoven around the town of Nashville, home of country music and intersecting political undercurrents, the film tries to make sense of the chaos.
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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.
Verb
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Some of them wear face paint, camouflage uniforms, and ghillie suits — ducking in and out of foxholes cut into the ground.
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Guests can walk along the nearby Rim Village Promenade before ducking into its lobby to enjoy the cozy fireplace, Mission furniture, and tree trunk columns.
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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