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
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
3
as in shaking
to agree with or seem to agree with two opposite sides of (something)
The politician straddled the issue for weeks.
Related Words
as in fence-sitting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Nina Subkhanberdina, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The first officer to arrive, Robert Allsup, broke through the front door and found Mohammed straddling the victim while holding a kitchen knife, Santa Clara police Chief Cory Morgan said at a news conference days after the shooting.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
Emily gets up on the bar to dance with one of the Magic Mikes at the booth, quickly straddling him to ride him like a bucking bronco.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Puck reported that the staffer accused Murray of straddling her near a prop bed on set and kissing her on the mouth through the face masks that both were wearing under COVID-19 protocols.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The deep alpine lake straddling the state lines of California and Nevada needs no introduction—Lake Tahoe’s sparkling, cobalt blue waters and sweeping Sierra Nevada mountain views have been mesmerizing people for centuries.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
The White Tower in Nadur boasts routes up to grade 8a as well as the perfect photo opportunity straddling the gap between two slabs.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
In a world increasingly defined by digital noise and cultural divisions, two contemporary artists from different traditions—Yi Ming in Shanghai and Adetona Omokanye straddling Lagos and Toronto—are anchoring their work in ancestral knowledge and spirituality.
—Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend National Park, which boasts Bortle 1 night skies, is part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which in 2022 became the only Dark Sky Reserve straddling the international border with Mexico.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
That geography has long placed the Central Asian nation at a crossroads, straddling both Europe and Asia.
—Nina Subkhanberdina, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The first officer to arrive, Robert Allsup, broke through the front door and found Mohammed straddling the victim while holding a kitchen knife, Santa Clara police Chief Cory Morgan said at a news conference days after the shooting.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
Emily gets up on the bar to dance with one of the Magic Mikes at the booth, quickly straddling him to ride him like a bucking bronco.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Puck reported that the staffer accused Murray of straddling her near a prop bed on set and kissing her on the mouth through the face masks that both were wearing under COVID-19 protocols.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The deep alpine lake straddling the state lines of California and Nevada needs no introduction—Lake Tahoe’s sparkling, cobalt blue waters and sweeping Sierra Nevada mountain views have been mesmerizing people for centuries.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
The White Tower in Nadur boasts routes up to grade 8a as well as the perfect photo opportunity straddling the gap between two slabs.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
In a world increasingly defined by digital noise and cultural divisions, two contemporary artists from different traditions—Yi Ming in Shanghai and Adetona Omokanye straddling Lagos and Toronto—are anchoring their work in ancestral knowledge and spirituality.
—Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend National Park, which boasts Bortle 1 night skies, is part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which in 2022 became the only Dark Sky Reserve straddling the international border with Mexico.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddling
Verb
-
Other photos show it while perching on the plant.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
-
TikTok users were able to see two cats perching over a bathroom sink, which had been filled with tap water.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Residents in the northeast are bracing for a drop in temperatures after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued multiple freeze warnings and frost advisories spanning from northern Pennsylvania to Maine, with sub-freezing temperatures possible for parts of New Hampshire and New York.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Through it all, there were clear winners and laggards in the third quarter — a diverse group spanning Big Tech to industrials.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Not even a month had passed since his big sister, Toraya, was shot and killed at an apartment complex in New Jersey, devastating the Reid family and shaking the Timberwolves organization to its core.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
In sixteenth-century Europe, just as Martin Luther’s ideas were shaking Catholic institutions, a far more radical movement for freedom rose up among peasants.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The outcome of this exceptionally tight presidential race may turn on whether Harris, in these final days of the campaign, can convince enough fence-sitting voters to embrace that message.—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
And the movies came to life with a surprise appearance of Miranda Priestly sitting front row at Dolce & Gabbana.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
That job required him to defy a sitting president.—
Billy Ray,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
During the 1960s, a period which saw the rise of overlapping and intersecting social movements, many of these student-run papers emerged as uncensored alternatives to traditional outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.—
Joshua Finnell,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Movies involving and primarily about three women intersecting have been a longtime staple.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jasper and Michelle looked for Josie, screaming her name, ducking behind cars to avoid gunfire.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Everyone’s ducking and dodging these days, too.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Another red flag could be an advisor who pushes products without a firm understanding of your goals, risk tolerance and timeline.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
That’s his tolerance for players who do not contribute without the ball.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddling. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share