STRADDLING Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

straddling 1 of 2

noun

as in fence-sitting

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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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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

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

Definition of fence-sitting

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

Definition of perching

Verb

The projects spanning the border in the Big Bend region include plans for a 30-foot steel bollard wall, vehicle barriers, new patrol roads and technology.

— Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
As Line Sheet’s audience grew, Sherman launched a private-dinner series spanning cities from Los Angeles to Milan and landed a contributor deal at CBS News.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of spanning

Noun

However, entrepreneurs who take a more conservative growth approach with their startups are less likely to align with investors who have a low tolerance for prolonged unprofitability.

— Richard Ceffalio, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
According to two of McCollough’s friends, Watts believed there should be no difference in their dosage amounts, despite their significant differences in tolerance levels and physical size.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of tolerance

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

Definition of sitting

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

Definition of intersecting

Verb

The masked person, carrying a distinctive blue plaid backpack, was last seen ducking into the SEPTA metro train’s Suburban Station.

— David K. Li, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
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