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
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
Mary Bronstein’s movie defies genres, straddling domestic drama, thriller and comedy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Goodland, is south of Mansfield, straddling Johnson and Ellis counties.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
And straddling it were the Mexicans and the gringos, like two children, eyes shut, their backs to each other, while the Apaches scuttled back and forth between their legs, not sure where to go with strangers bubbling up everywhere, filling their lands.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The whole season was about Maddie straddling two worlds.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
The legislation comes as transgender Kansas Citians are straddling two states that have sought to restrict their rights.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Mary Bronstein’s movie defies genres, straddling domestic drama, thriller and comedy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Goodland, is south of Mansfield, straddling Johnson and Ellis counties.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
And straddling it were the Mexicans and the gringos, like two children, eyes shut, their backs to each other, while the Apaches scuttled back and forth between their legs, not sure where to go with strangers bubbling up everywhere, filling their lands.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The whole season was about Maddie straddling two worlds.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
The legislation comes as transgender Kansas Citians are straddling two states that have sought to restrict their rights.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 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.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
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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
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Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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The department recommends staggering bloom times to make sure hummingbirds have a food source for the entire season, as well as providing a source of water and trees or tall shrubs for nesting and perching.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her unique musical journey spanning decades has enriched our cultural heritage and touched the hearts of countless people around the world.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
12 Apr. 2026
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Her extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched our cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That hasn’t stopped them from taking two of three meetings with the Ducks in 2025-26, albeit with the first victory coming before Vancouver’s roster-shaking Quinn Hughes trade and the most recent confrontation being a 5-2 tilt in the Ducks’ favor on March 24.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2026
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Surveillance footage from inside the store showed tension between Dempsey and Thurston, which Dempsey attempted to defuse by shaking Thurston’s hand.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Associate administrator Amit Kshatriya pointed to Artemis I flight data, ground testing, and engineering models as justification, and Glover acknowledged the risk head-on, noting the heat shield and parachutes are systems with zero fault tolerance built in.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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Early analyses have begun to link genes to traits such as drought tolerance and temperature adaptation, but researchers say more rigorous work is needed to confirm those links before they can be used to guide restoration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Pacers were also sitting key pieces, and once Brooklyn fell behind big early, there wasn’t much urgency to change the script.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Queen Elizabeth's record reign encompassed 15 British prime ministers, audiences with 13 sitting American presidents and at least 14 generations of corgis roaming her royal homes, to her great joy.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Together, experts paint a picture of a sector where formal investment risks intersecting with criminal governance, armed violence and illicit supply chains.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ring surveillance video from the night of the shooting showed people ducking for cover on the 1500 block of South Etting Street as gunshots were fired.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Investors ducking for cover in the rocky market are turning to low volatility funds.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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