What does straddle mean?
Word: Straddle
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Straddle means to sit or stand with one leg on each side of something. It can also mean to lie across both sides of a place or a line.
How do you spell straddle?
Syllables: strad - dle
Tricky part: The ending causes the trouble. It is le, although the sound you hear is closer to 'ul', so students who write what they hear finish with el or al.
Watch out for: straddel, straddal
Memory tip: Verbs for a movement that close on an 'ul' sound, such as tumble, shuffle and wriggle, usually finish in le. Put straddle in that group.
Straddle in a sentence
Example 1: Kiran learnt to straddle her new bicycle before she tried to pedal.
Example 2: The boys like to straddle the low branch of the neem tree and read comics.
Example 3: The Sundarbans straddle the border between India and Bangladesh.
Fun Fact
Before the Fosbury Flop took over in the 1970s, many high jumpers used a style called the straddle, crossing the bar face down with one leg on each side of it.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
str_d_le
a) a, d
b) e, d
c) a, t
d) o, d
Show answer
a) a, d. Say the two beats, strad and dle, and only one pair gives the finished word.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
On the old carousel, you must dlaetrds the wooden horse and hold on to the brass pole.
a) struggle
b) startled
c) straddle
d) straggle
Show answer
c) straddle. These eight letters can be built into straddle alone, and a rider on a wooden horse does exactly that.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word straddle as used in the sentence:
The new sports complex will straddle the two districts when the last road is finished.
a) enter
b) span
c) follow
d) skirt
Show answer
b) span. A building that stretches over both districts spans them; it does not just run along the edge.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning.
1. perfuntory 2. straddle 3. kaleidoscoap 4. vicisitude
a) a tube of mirrors that shows changing patterns
b) to be placed across something with a part on either side
c) a sudden change in a person's fortunes
d) done only as a duty, with little care
Show answer
b) to be placed across something with a part on either side. Kaleidoscope ends in scope, perfunctory has a c before the t, and vicissitude needs a double s, so straddle stands alone.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. To straddle a narrow wall, you would first need to ____.
a) swing one leg right over it
b) crawl along the ground below it
c) lean your back against it
d) kneel down in front of it
Show answer
a) swing one leg right over it
2. A small child would find it easiest to straddle ____.
a) a low garden bench
b) a thick concrete pillar
c) a wide swimming pool
d) a tall glass window
Show answer
a) a low garden bench
