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to straddle

to straddle

13 5.0
To reach across an area so parts are on both sides
  • verb
  • /ˈstrædəl/
translation icon : atravesar
  • The plantation, like the manor, straddled the line between public and private.
  • straddle the border
  • straddle the boundary
  • straddle two worlds

Uncanny humanoids, like all creepy things, straddle a line between two regions that we can understand and explain with language.

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Examples

  • The new bridge straddles both sides of the gorge, allowing easy access to both areas.

  • Oil and gas fields that straddle maritime boundaries are common around the world.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Straddling the border of Pakistan and China, K2 is slightly smaller than Mount Everest, but its reputation has always been much larger.

    The Summit (2013)

  • Almost 96% of the planet's freshwater resources are found in underground aquifers, most of which straddle national boundaries.

    Academic text (2009)

  • And the town of Texarkana, population 40,000, which straddles the Texas-Arkansas border, was regearing for peace after four years of rationing, war bonds, and shortages.

    The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

  • The new highway will straddle the river, connecting two important towns.

  • Her responsibilities straddle two departments, overseeing projects in both marketing and sales.

Synonyms

to range
vsto straddle
247 2.8

To extend across an area or group of values

focuses on crossing an area rather than varying between limits
to cover
vsto straddle
192 3.3

To go across an area or distance

extends across an area or range without implying movement
to sweep
vsto straddle
127 2.3

To extend across a large area or long distance

may extend across but does not necessarily imply very wide coverage
to span
vsto straddle
  • Specialized
98 3.4

To stretch across an area or period of time

extends across while focusing on covering parts or the whole of an area
to spread over
vsto straddle
17 3.6

Form a layer across a surface, like fog or icing

extends across areas or ranges rather than focusing on forming a layer
to overlap
vsto straddle
7 3.6

To lie over and partly cover something else

often covers across areas and can cover partly or fully
to overspread
vsto straddle
1 7.1

Move across a surface and cover it, like mist or color

extends across areas or ranges rather than just surfaces

How Wide

to cover
192 3.3
to span
  • Specialized
98 3.4
to straddle
13 5.0
to overlap
7 3.6
to touch
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

straddle infinitive
straddled past
straddled past participle
straddling present participle
straddles third person singular

Etymology

A helpful way to remember straddle here is to picture standing with one foot in one place and the other foot in another place, so you are 'across' the gap. That's why to straddle an area means to extend across or over it.