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.
Normal foreign policy considerations regarding conflict with a country of 90 million people situated astride the world’s oil jugular do not come into play.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026
KLAIPEDA, Lithuania—Germany’s top military officer, Gen. Carsten Breuer, stood astride a map of Lithuania laid out on the floor of a makeshift command post in this port city on the Baltic Sea.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
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 video then cuts to footage from “Supergirl” that shows Momoa’s Lobo laughing astride a motorcycle.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026
A moment later there was a boy of Shasta's own age sitting astride of the sill with one leg hanging down inside the room.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
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.
