astride
Americanpreposition
-
with a leg on each side of; straddling.
She sat astride the horse.
-
on both sides of.
Budapest lies astride the river.
-
in a dominant position within.
Napoleon stands astride the early 19th century like a giant.
adverb
adjective
-
with a leg on either side
-
with the legs far apart
preposition
-
with a leg on either side of
-
with a part on both sides of
Etymology
Origin of astride
Explanation
When you're astride something, you have one leg on each of it. A typical rider on a horse is astride the horse. This is a word for a physical position that is easiest to visualize by picturing riders atop horses. While you can ride a horse sidesaddle — with both legs on one side — the usual (and safer) way to ride a horse is astride. When you're astride, you have one leg on each side of a horse: you've mounted the horse. If you climb a fence, you're probably going to find yourself astride the fence for a moment before you get to the other side.
Vocabulary lists containing astride
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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List 4
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The Alchemist
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the ad he seems to stand astride the world, a 2010s Michael Bay–style epic zoom-out to space revealing the global reach of both his vacant stare and the Salesforce CRM.
From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026
The jarring images of the king’s brother astride a steed sparked an immediate reaction in Buckingham Palace.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
The video then cuts to footage from “Supergirl” that shows Momoa’s Lobo laughing astride a motorcycle.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026
Somaliland sits astride one of the world's most strategic maritime choke points, flanked by multiple conflicts in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026
I never envisioned myself in that kind of white hat, though, astride some fine horse, galloping into the main street of town.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
