1
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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Dissimilar Words
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straddle
Happily, there are meals like this one that straddle the shoulder season seamlessly, offering both springy freshness and a cozy, feel-good factor.
—
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
Diving Bell is among a batch of talent agencies focused on digital talent and creators, notable for focusing on talent who straddle the content creation, broadcast, literary and IP spaces.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
The city of New London, which straddles Waupaca and Outagamie counties, urgently requested volunteers for sandbagging efforts Friday morning.
—Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
There are several factors driving the staggering heat, including a unyielding ridge of high pressure straddling Southern California and weaker-than-normal coastal winds, which typically drive upwelling along the coast.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for straddle
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
Diving Bell is among a batch of talent agencies focused on digital talent and creators, notable for focusing on talent who straddle the content creation, broadcast, literary and IP spaces.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
The city of New London, which straddles Waupaca and Outagamie counties, urgently requested volunteers for sandbagging efforts Friday morning.
—Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
There are several factors driving the staggering heat, including a unyielding ridge of high pressure straddling Southern California and weaker-than-normal coastal winds, which typically drive upwelling along the coast.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for straddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straddle
Verb
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Stays come in the form of historic palaces like Palazzu Nicrosi, perched on the hillside, or Le Couvent de Pozzo, a 15th-century convent converted into a guesthouse with a centerpiece pool eyeing the Italian island of Elba.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
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Ticks tend to perch on ankle-level vegetation with their upper legs outstretched, waiting to latch on to an unsuspecting dog or human.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Prolific animator, writer and producer Mike Judge, co-creator of King of the Hill and creator of Beavis and Butt-Head, will be recognized for a career spanning more than three decades and his role in shaping adult animation.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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Because the incident spanned two jurisdictions, Pennsylvania State Police troopers from the Butler barracks have been called to take over the investigation.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The situation is also an opportunity for NASA to resume the kind of risk-taking that has been lacking to shake the agency out of a post-space-shuttle lethargy and to reignite passions for reaching a stretch goal under deadline pressure.—
Thomas Black,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The front car of the train appeared to jump the track, leaving passengers shaken.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most evenings, Mohamed Ismail would sit at his local ‘ahwa, one of the small, no-frills coffee shops that are the cornerstone of social life in Cairo.—
Mirette Magdy,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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While Corcoran’s take sits well outside the norms of good personal finance advice, her experience is perhaps unusual.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Civilian missions heading to the International Space Station launch with similarly precise timing, down to the second, to intersect with the space station’s orbital plane.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2026
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Neither of them could have guessed at the time how their lives would later intersect.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When shots were fired, hundreds of attendees ducked under tables or took cover inside the ballroom before being evacuated, and the event was subsequently postponed.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His career essentially bestrides the slow-to-grow Before Times and the apparent soccer paradise of today, which was fortified by remarkable facilities, boosted by an ideal central location and forged by an eagerly welcoming host city that slugged above its weight to make this happen.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Lone Star State is already a literal powerhouse that bestrides domestic energy production.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Saturday’s event comprises Rounds 4-7 and serves as origin stories for underdogs to come.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The new map is designed to favor Democrats in 10 of the state’s eleven districts, leaving Republicans with 9% of the state’s congressional seats even though Republicans and Republican-leaning voters comprise nearly half of the state’s electorate.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straddle. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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