1
as in perches
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
2
as in spans
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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Dissimilar Words
3
as in shakes
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
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Recent Examples of straddles
But Bieber’s Rhode is the rare unicorn that straddles both worlds.
—
Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Packed with visual gags and a cast of gifted comedic actors, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
His work straddles tradition and modernity while honoring craft as a link to community, history and nature.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The property straddles city council District 9, represented by Beck, and District 11, represented by Councilwomen Jeanette Martinez.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The Permian Basin — the country’s largest oil field, which straddles the Texas-New Mexico border — was estimated by a 2024 study to emit the second-most methane of any oil field in the world.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
Abbotsford straddles Clark and Marathon counties.
—Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
If a tree straddles the property line, both owners must agree on maintenance and removal.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Aug. 2025
While not a national park, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which straddles Arizona and Nevada, ranked the highest in fatalities.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2025
Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Packed with visual gags and a cast of gifted comedic actors, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
His work straddles tradition and modernity while honoring craft as a link to community, history and nature.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The property straddles city council District 9, represented by Beck, and District 11, represented by Councilwomen Jeanette Martinez.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The Permian Basin — the country’s largest oil field, which straddles the Texas-New Mexico border — was estimated by a 2024 study to emit the second-most methane of any oil field in the world.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
Abbotsford straddles Clark and Marathon counties.
—Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
If a tree straddles the property line, both owners must agree on maintenance and removal.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Aug. 2025
While not a national park, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which straddles Arizona and Nevada, ranked the highest in fatalities.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddles
Verb
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And frequent appearances by a pigeon that perches on her windowsill like a Greek chorus, mocking her self-abasement and growing detachment from reality, seem a tad heavy-handed.—
Book Marks
August 28,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The letters, which actors sometimes pose alongside (Oh perches punningly in the O), recall those giant signs which give tourists a place to take selfies.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Laser-like light that spans a wide range of frequencies is a powerful tool for science and industry.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The casting deliberately spans India’s entertainment spectrum, mixing familiar television personalities like Arjun Bijlani and Kiku Sharda with digital stars like Dhanashree Verma and bold personalities like Kubbra Sait.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bear swims to the exit, and shakes off his wet fur.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Uranus’ retrograde in your zone of foundations and roots shakes you to your core!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This upholstered bed sits close to the ground, delivering a modern look and a more spacious feel to your bedroom.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Sep. 2025
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The increase lifted his total fortune to $393 billion, ahead of Musk who sits at $385 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That’s when the moon’s orbital path around Earth intersects the path the sun takes through the sky.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The series centers on a group of kids with latent or emerging special abilities who are subjected to cruel experiments at the mysterious institute of the title, along with a local cop (Ben Barnes) whose story intersects with that of the kids.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Coffered ceilings and Versailles parquet add to traditional elegance in the living room with seating space that sprawls out opposite a full bar.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Suites expand into living areas, while the Presidential Suite sprawls across a footprint only a Soviet office block could provide.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Renewed sanctions may not deal much of an economic blow to Iran, especially if China evades them, but can be a potent political tool to stir fears of vulnerability and future military action, a Washington Institute expert argued.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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There has been a lot of research into understanding how cancer evades the body’s immune system, and the ways that science might be able to get around that.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There’s also a type of automatic called a continuously variable transmission (also known as a CVT) that eschews a set of gears for a pair of variable-width pulleys connected by a belt.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Romvari often eschews traditional point-of-view shots, and cinematographer Maya Bankovic complements that decision by favoring a long-lens shooting style with occasional zooms.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddles. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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