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.
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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.
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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.
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of straddle
Which is why Democrats are at least curious how someone like Gaetz straddles so many factions all at once.
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Philip Elliott, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Middletown straddles Butler and Warren counties and sits about halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 26 Dec. 2024
At the time of his trade to Boston, Sale compiled 74 wins in 228 games (148 starts) spanning 1,110 innings for teams who straddled the line between moderate winning, mediocrity and painful awfulness.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
The Chanel Le Vernis Ballerina shade is an elevated take on a basic buff manicure — providing a glossy sheen that straddles the line between sophisticated and lighthearted.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for straddle 
Philip Elliott, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Middletown straddles Butler and Warren counties and sits about halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 26 Dec. 2024
At the time of his trade to Boston, Sale compiled 74 wins in 228 games (148 starts) spanning 1,110 innings for teams who straddled the line between moderate winning, mediocrity and painful awfulness.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
The Chanel Le Vernis Ballerina shade is an elevated take on a basic buff manicure — providing a glossy sheen that straddles the line between sophisticated and lighthearted.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
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The next ingredient was a high-pressure weather system perched over southern Idaho.Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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Electricity and water have been cut off to the camp since the start of the campaign Dec. 14, and PA snipers perched above buildings monitor its entrance, residents say.Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Hurst fire, which spans 799 acres, is 97 percent contained.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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The 2025 Sundance jury members spans 16 filmmakers, with the vaunted U.S. Dramatic Competition jury being especially star-studded.Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Venus will conjunct Saturn in Pisces — shaking your expansive ninth house of adventure, wisdom and belief systems — presenting you with a chance to harness your intuition and emotional intelligence to create a practical plan.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025
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Back then, a nearly 3% devaluation shook markets everywhere.William Pesek, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The footage shows the determined dog, a female golden doodle, sitting resolutely in a corner of the couch while the man shares the same seat, both unwilling to concede the spot.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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Bend your left knee, hinge forward at the hips, and sit your butt back to lower into a lateral lunge.Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Contextualizing Bob Marley Bob Marley’s life and music intersected with Pan-Africanism, the Rastafari movement, and post-colonial politics around the globe.JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
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One set of the sauropod tracks intersects with those of the Megalosaurus.Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Walking through doorways sometimes required him to duck.Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
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Reacher dives deep into an undercover ring by securing a job inside the operation though the stakes are high as he’s seen ducking from gunfire, explosions and no shortage of bad guys.Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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While the figures do not differentiate between militants and civilians, women and children are reported to comprise more than half of the fatalities.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
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The organization comprises 81 French luxury goods companies dedicated to promoting French know-how and skill, history and innovation, internationally.Sofia Celeste, WWD, 17 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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