straddle

American  

[strad-l] / ˈstræd l /

verb (used without object)

straddled, straddling

1. to walk, stand, or sit with the legs wide apart; stand or sit astride.

2. to stand wide apart, as the legs.

3. to favor or appear to favor both sides of an issue, political division, or the like, at once; maintain an equivocal position.

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verb (used with object)

straddled, straddling

1. to walk, stand, or sit with one leg on each side of; stand or sit astride of.

   to straddle a horse.

2. to spread (the legs) wide apart.

3. to favor or appear to favor both sides of (an issue, political division, etc.).

noun

1. an act or instance of straddling.

2. the distance straddled over.

3. the taking of a noncommittal position.

4. Finance.

   1. an option consisting of a put and a call combined, both at the same current market price and for the same specified period.

   2. a similar transaction in securities or futures in which options to buy and sell the same security or commodity are purchased simultaneously in order to hedge one's risk.

straddle British  

/ ˈstrædəl /

verb

1. (tr) to have one leg, part, or support on each side of

2. informal (tr) to be in favour of both sides of (something)

3. (intr) to stand, walk, or sit with the legs apart

4. (tr) to spread (the legs) apart

5. military to fire a number of shots slightly beyond and slightly short of (a target) to determine the correct range

6. (intr) (in poker, of the second player after the dealer) to double the ante before looking at one's cards

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noun

1. the act or position of straddling

2. a noncommittal attitude or stand

3. commerce a contract or option permitting its purchaser to either sell or buy securities or commodities within a specified period of time at specified prices. It is a combination of a put and a call option Compare spread

4. athletics a high-jumping technique in which the body is parallel with the bar and the legs straddle it at the highest point of the jump

5. (in poker) the stake put up after the ante in poker by the second player after the dealer

6. a wooden frame placed on a horse's back to which panniers are attached

Other Word Forms

• straddler
  noun
• straddlingly
  adverb
• unstraddled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of straddle

1555–65; apparently frequentative (with -le ) of variant stem of stride

Explanation

When you straddle something, you're sitting on it with one leg on each side — like straddling a horse or a fence. Unless you're using an old-fashioned side-saddle, you straddle a horse when you ride it. Gymnasts learn how to straddle the parallel bars, basically doing the splits on them. But if someone says you're "straddling the fence," it means you're doing a different kind of split: you're not taking a side and refusing to commit. In finance, straddling means you want to leave your options open to buy or sell.

Example Sentences

“I think that the real success in our business over the next 10 years will be the ability to straddle both of these worlds,” said Pepper, who helped develop Mason’s series.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

If the straddle is bought, then we would roll the calls up to the 85 strike if BNS trades at $85.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

“For now, EssilorLuxottica could well straddle the best of both worlds.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

This week the five-month straddle was priced at about $1.75.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Tiamat agreed, and Jeremy found it far more comfortable to straddle her back than to be carried in her claws.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville