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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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
At 5,000 feet elevation, the high rangeland of Sierra Valley an hour north of Truckee and 30 miles west of Reno straddles the quiet reaches of Plumas and Sierra counties.
—
Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Via visual gags, a cast of gifted comic actors and a script that pulls both from ’80s and ’90s TV movies and screen classics like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
But Bieber’s Rhode is the rare unicorn that straddles both worlds.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 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
Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Via visual gags, a cast of gifted comic actors and a script that pulls both from ’80s and ’90s TV movies and screen classics like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
But Bieber’s Rhode is the rare unicorn that straddles both worlds.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 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
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
-
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
-
Noah Cameron shakes off rocky 1st inning Sunday didn’t start well for Royals rookie starter Noah Cameron.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
-
One team member gets to see an object in a box, then the other team members have to guess what that person saw, using only facial expressions (no nods or head shakes) as clues.—
Matthew Jackson,
Vulture,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The company’s market cap sits at about $63 billion.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Identity sits at the heart of digital trust.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Season 1, viewers met exotic dancer Kimmie, a victim of abuse and an underground human trafficking operation, as her life deeply intersects with the Bellaires — a wealthy, powerful family running a successful hair care business in Chicago.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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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
Verb
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The way a Newfoundland dog carefully ducks his head to avoid getting bumped by a car trunk has captured hearts across the internet.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
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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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With the help of resourceful Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), Bourne evades capture from the CIA — namely data analyst Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and Deputy Director Ward Abbott (Brian Cox) — while untangling his involvement in the deadly Operation Treadstone.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Straddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddles. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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