1
as in to perch
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to span
to be on both sides of (something)
The town straddles the river. The movie straddles the line between comedy and drama.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shake
to agree with or seem to agree with two opposite sides of (something)
The politician straddled the issue for weeks.
Synonyms & Similar 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 straddle
The Arctic island is also home to a U.S. air base and straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic.
—
Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Join 7 others in the comments View Comments Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles North Carolina and Tennessee, brought in the most visitors among the headliner national parks.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
But George Foreman’s grill straddled two weight-loss trends: the fat-free movement, where fats and oils and flavor were considered toxic substances, and the growing Atkins all-protein diet.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2025
Dropping weekly with guests that straddle the worlds of sport and culture, FREEAgent will focus on high-profile names who work behind the scenes and do not often speak publicly yet still wield widespread influence in their industry.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Join 7 others in the comments View Comments Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles North Carolina and Tennessee, brought in the most visitors among the headliner national parks.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
But George Foreman’s grill straddled two weight-loss trends: the fat-free movement, where fats and oils and flavor were considered toxic substances, and the growing Atkins all-protein diet.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2025
Dropping weekly with guests that straddle the worlds of sport and culture, FREEAgent will focus on high-profile names who work behind the scenes and do not often speak publicly yet still wield widespread influence in their industry.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
-
Picture a structure taller than Seattle’s Space Needle perched sideways in the clouds—a horizontal skyscraper: only in Dubai.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
And perched high above it all, at 444 East 52nd Street, is a penthouse that once served as a sanctuary for two of America’s most celebrated writers: Dorothy Parker and F. Scott Fitzgerald.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The gorgeous San Francisco home for sale at 2312 Pacific Ave. spans four levels and 7,200 square feet.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
His influence spans decades, with his new resurgence keeping him at the forefront of the genre.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The back-and-forth over tariffs shook confidence in U.S. leadership, exposed fractures within Trump’s team and rattled companies that rely on global sources for products and international customers for sales.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Lakers star LeBron James shook his head when asked about the play.—
Jovan Buha,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The four rectangular objects, each measuring about three inches long, sat atop reeds in a corner of the tomb.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The fish should sit for no longer then 5 to 6 minutes in the marinade (tiger’s milk) for a firm exterior with a tender translucent center.—
CAROLE KOTKIN,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
He's been covering style, grooming and watches for over a decade, traveling across the world to examine how these topics intersect with the broader… Read More Read More On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Patek Philippe Vacheron Constantin Watch Collector Watches & Wonders Like this article?—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Doing so not only shows you how our economies intersect, but also how to leverage that intersection to your advantage.—
Rahim Madhavji,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Over at the station, with 25 minutes until Spencer’s train arrives, a whole bunch of Whitfield’s men enter the waiting are; Jake ducks his head and sneaks outside to let the sheriff know they’re greatly outnumbered.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Catch up quick: The former heart surgeon and TV talk show host ducked questions about possible Medicaid cuts and how DOGE could affect the big health programs during a relatively smooth confirmation hearing at Senate Finance last month.—
Victoria Knight,
Axios,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The United States will once again bestride the world like a colossus deterring enemies and making other nations safe from the likes of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.—
Armstrong Williams,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Nov. 2024
-
Humanity bestrides the planet, explores the cosmos, and continues to reshape itself because humans are the world’s most inventive, adaptable animal.—
Nicholas Eberstadt,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
In comparison, renewables comprise 22% of the electricity mix in the United States.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Their faculties comprise some of the cleverest lawyers in the land.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share