straddled; straddling
ˈstrad-liŋ 
ˈstra-dᵊl-iŋ
1
: to stand, sit, or walk with the legs wide apart
especially
: to sit astride
2
: to spread out irregularly : sprawl
3
: to favor or seem to favor two apparently opposite sides
4
: to execute a commodities market spread
1
: to stand, sit, or be astride of
straddle a horse
campsites straddling the river
2
: to be noncommittal in regard to
straddle an issue
3
: to belong in part to (each of several categories)
a movie straddling genres
Examples of straddle in a Sentence
Verb
Turkey straddles Asia and Europe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2024
Her version of Medicare for All straddled the line between Sanders' plan and a public option and allowed private insurers to offer their own Medicare plans that adhered to certain requirements.
—Victoria Knight, Axios, 23 July 2024
Jesse Pound, CNBC, 25 July 2024
In a further diplomatic straddle between East and West, Mr. Trong hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in June in a show of Vietnam’s efforts to strike a neutral position on the war in Ukraine.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for straddle 
Verb
American CEOs may no longer be able to straddle the line over U.S. differences with China, said Bill Holstein, author of the book Battlefield Cyber, and former editor-in-chief of Chief Executive and Directorship magazines.
—Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2024
Her version of Medicare for All straddled the line between Sanders' plan and a public option and allowed private insurers to offer their own Medicare plans that adhered to certain requirements.
—Victoria Knight, Axios, 23 July 2024
Noun
The losses from a straddle trade are capped at the upfront cost of the options contract.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 25 July 2024
In a further diplomatic straddle between East and West, Mr. Trong hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in June in a show of Vietnam’s efforts to strike a neutral position on the war in Ukraine.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for straddle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'straddle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near straddle
Cite this Entry
“Straddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straddle. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
straddle
1 of 2 verb
strad·dle
ˈstrad-ᵊl
straddled; straddling
ˈstrad-liŋ
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to stand, sit, or walk with the legs wide apart
2
: to approve or seem to approve two apparently opposite sides
straddle a question
straddle
2 of 2 noun
: the act or position of one that straddles
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