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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as in fence-sitting
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling
Verb
-
Symptoms like a fast heart rate, or shortness of breath, shaking and chills, confusion or lethargy.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
24 Dec. 2024 -
In the video, a terrified Archie can be seen frozen, staring and shaking.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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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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
-
The Rockets came into Christmas Eve riding a three-game winning streak, now sitting at 20-9 and up to second overall in the Western Conference, behind just the Oklahoma City Thunder.—
Rahat Huq,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Coach Doc River played the role of Secret Santa by sitting the Bucks’ two biggest stars — Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was dealing with back spasms, and Damian Lillard, who was out with a non-COVID-19 illness.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Establishing a culture of risk tolerance can be transformative for startups.—
Vikram Joshi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Nonetheless, the researchers note that these latest findings only uncover an association, and there are many variables, including genetic tolerance of caffeine, that can negate the potential health-boosting effects.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Only a small percentage of college stars will ever play professionally, and an even tinier number will become wealthy, but the fate of the vast majority of student-athletes is a matter of indifference to the predatory NCAA.—
Guy Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
-
Danes display a curious indifference toward Greenlanders.—
Morten Høi Jensen,
The Dial,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Royal Family Christmas Traditions Charles and Queen Camilla will spend Christmas at Sandringham, the royal family's sprawling estate in Norfolk, as the royals do every year.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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The sprawling case puts a spotlight on crisis publicists, who typically remain behind the scenes but have become the story here, with four separate agencies engulfed in the spectacle.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
23 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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