straddling 1 of 2

straddling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of straddle
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.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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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
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 It’s situated in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness north of Yellowstone National Park straddling the Montana-Wyoming border. Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026 Cities across the Southwest are stepping up conservation efforts amid the growing crisis facing a key Colorado River reservoir straddling the Utah-Arizona border. Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 26 July 2026 At her white adoptive family’s estate, Thina (26), a Black surgeon straddling two worlds, prepares for her wedding with a woke Black fiancé and her white adoptive sister – her best friend. John Hopewell, Variety, 14 July 2026 Since graduating from the YA fantasy series, Pattinson has become one of our most interesting actors, straddling the space between indie and mainstream filmmaking. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 The race’s start location means that the Pyrenees, straddling the French-Spanish border, are visited exceptionally early. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 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
  • Blue dashers perch on short reeds and grasses to wait for prey, but each species of perching dragonfly has its own preference for perch height and type.
    Rachel Sargent Mirus, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Sandy was spotted later in the day perching on top of a sugar pine tree.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • In a news release shared Wednesday, LASD officials said that multiple warrants were served as part of an investigation spanning across Southern California, including in LA, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • If Yellowstone erupts again, the most probable outcome is not a continent-spanning explosion.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • White slammed Garry for shaking hands and embracing Makhachev before the final round.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka, a regency in East Nusa Tenggara, said a number of buildings were damaged by the strong shaking and panicked people ran to higher ground.
    Yacob Herin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Eat your snack 15-60 minutes before exercise, adjusting the portion and timing based on your last meal, workout intensity, and digestive tolerance.
    Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Although individual rulers adopted Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Daoism, or traditional Mongol religion, the Mongols generally practiced religious tolerance.
    Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The world’s largest cryptocurrency is currently sitting near historic lows, but Fundstrat says it could be poised for a big swing, predicting a move of around 30% or more over the next two months.
    Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The deal was finalized in October 2025, when the NBA distributed a photo of Walter sitting next to a smiling Jeanie Buss.
    William Earl, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That innovation is also intersecting with the growth of artificial intelligence capabilities, according to Hendrik Venter, CEO of DHL Supply Chain.
    Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 25 July 2026
  • 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.
    Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Coming up, the mounting questions about that elaborate ruse that had the president ducking into a catering truck to switch planes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Larkin has used Moskowitz’s refusal to appear with him to accuse the reelection-seeking congressman of ducking debates and avoiding the voters.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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