1
: with one leg on each side : astride a horse
she rode astride, not sidesaddle
2
: with the legs stretched wide apart
standing astride
Examples of astride in a Sentence
Preposition
She was sitting astride a horse.
The town lies astride a narrow river.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rebecca Scofield / Made By History, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025
Bull riders and bareback contestants must stay astride for at least eight seconds in order to be eligible to win and be scored on the quality of their rides.
—New York Times, 16 Aug. 2022
David Axe, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
One photo shows an elementary student, purported to be 7 years old, lying on a classroom floor, face down, with an adult sitting astride his lower back, hips and upper legs.
—Penny Weaver, arkansasonline.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for astride 
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Adverb
Over the 20th century, riding astride transformed into a significant cultural symbol for feminists because bonds with horses and dragons became alternative routes for women to gain political power and personal agency.
—Rebecca Scofield / Made By History, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025
Bull riders and bareback contestants must stay astride for at least eight seconds in order to be eligible to win and be scored on the quality of their rides.
—New York Times, 16 Aug. 2022
Preposition
Today the Russian Central Grouping of Forces is just six miles from the next major prize on the Avdiivka axis: the city of Pokrovsk, which sits astride important Ukrainian supply lines for the whole eastern front.
—David Axe, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
One photo shows an elementary student, purported to be 7 years old, lying on a classroom floor, face down, with an adult sitting astride his lower back, hips and upper legs.
—Penny Weaver, arkansasonline.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for astride
Dictionary Entries Near astride
Cite this Entry
“Astride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astride. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
astride
1 of 2 adverb
: with one leg on each side
astride
2 of 2 preposition
: on or above and with one leg on each side of
astride a horse
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