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
News Desk, Artforum, 9 May 2025
The show starts calmly with the dapper musician Coalhouse Walker Jr. astride his piano bench, playing a gentle, lilting ragtime melody.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for astride
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Abdul Abdullah of Sydney won for his portrait of fellow artist Jason Phu astride a horse, titled No mountain high enough.
—News Desk, Artforum, 9 May 2025
The show starts calmly with the dapper musician Coalhouse Walker Jr. astride his piano bench, playing a gentle, lilting ragtime melody.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for astride
Cite this Entry
“Astride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astride. Accessed 19 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share