STRADDLING Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

straddling 1 of 2

noun

as in fence-sitting

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Dissimilar Words

straddling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of straddle

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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Dissimilar Words

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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Dissimilar Words

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of straddling

Verb

Wiener not only leaves behind a richly complex body of work straddling textiles, painting, photographs, and collages, but also a career intricately connected to one of the most important chapters of Austrian art. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Bajo Chiquito sits on the Tuquesa River at the northern end of the Darién Gap, the more than sixty-mile stretch of formidable terrain and riverine forest straddling Panama and Colombia. — Belén Fernández, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 As the camera zooms out, the actress is revealed to be nude straddling a basketball hoop while spinning a ball on her finger like a Harlem Globetrotter. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026 This town sits in the Central Idaho Rockies, straddling national forests in the Wood River Valley. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Back on ground level, The Patio is a more relaxed bar straddling the entrance of the restaurant. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026 An example is the rare Enantio, from the mountainous region straddling Veneto and Trentino. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026 In the world of traffic oddities, one car straddling a bike path median — like a gymnast poised on a balance beam — could be called a fluke. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 Mythical creatures, too, soaked in the supernatural; half-men, half-animals who evaded classification—centaurs and satyrs, fauns and werewolves—straddling the boundary between man and beast. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling

Noun

Keeping four quarterbacks could be seen as another fence-sitting move.

— Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of fence-sitting

Verb

Alternatively, take your pick from the five onsite restaurants—spanning Mediterranean, Mexican, Japanese, and European cuisines—overseen by former Top Chef contestant Chef Christian Bravo.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The late, legendary musician David Bowie will have his 80th birthday celebrated with a series of events, exhibits, releases, collaborations and experiences beginning in November and spanning 2027, his estate announced on Monday.

— Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of spanning

Noun

The running time seems a lot for one’s tolerance of a supervillain story and not enough, since the story of DOGE, a venal propaganda folly with a human cost, really needs its own separate feature.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
The surprise is that greater adoption does not translate into greater tolerance.

— Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of tolerance

Verb

In an effort to be comfortable and simultaneously stylish, Venus Williams laced up a pair of fashionable sneaker heels while sitting front row at Lacoste‘s spring 2027 show held today in Paris.

— Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026
The stranger approached the store owner, a stout man waving a rattan fan lazily at his face while sitting at the till.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of sitting

Verb

This puzzle is stuffed with nuance, pleasing crosses and a lot of simply terrific, ridiculously evocative stuff — for example, a jarring assortment of lovely trivia intersecting with some hideous ailments at more than one juncture.

— Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
As attacks escalate between Ethiopia and Tigrayan rebels, intersecting wars could deepen instability across regions already mired in conflict.

— Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of intersecting

Verb

Meanwhile, Cooper is in Palm Springs, ducking the Better Business Bureau and reluctantly participating in his daughter’s documentary about his upbringing.

— Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
And who will have to settle for simply drinking out of a coconut or ducking under stuff?

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026