bestride
verb
be·stride bi-ˈstrīd 
bē-
bestrode bi-ˈstrōd
bē-
; bestridden bi-ˈstri-dᵊn bē-
; bestriding bi-ˈstrī-diŋ bē-
transitive verb
1
: to ride, sit, or stand astride : straddle
2
: to tower over : dominate
the bloated bureaucracy that bestrides us all
Edward Ney
Edward Ney3
archaic : to stride across
Example Sentences
a giant that bestrode the river
Recent Examples on the Web His book is an attempt at redeeming a career wrecked by Robert Mueller’s prosecutors, who portrayed him as one of the most corrupt characters to ever bestride Washington. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2022 With the new Gilded Age now fully in swing, we are ruled by a class of philosopher kings who bestride the business and political worlds. Michael Taylor, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2022 The alternative is to continue to bestride both systems and accept the consequence that trust—arguably the most important attribute of a communication tool like Zoom—is at the mercy of the Chinese Communist Party. The Economist, 20 June 2020 The offices are spooky-minimalist, and a colossal statue of a little girl bestrides the campus, her eyes glassy and piercing like a nightmare doll’s. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2020 His father spent years on the run and three uncles were sent to labour camps for opposing the dictatorship of Mathieu Kérékou, one of dozens of autocrats who bestrode Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. The Economist, 5 Mar. 2020 In Riyadh, Mohammed bin Salman bestrode the stage as a great modernizer. Josef Joffe, WSJ, 27 Jan. 2020 For a generation, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani bestrode the Middle East spreading terror and death. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 Jan. 2020 The tech sector today bestrides the U.S. economy like a colossus. Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2019 See More
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2022 With the new Gilded Age now fully in swing, we are ruled by a class of philosopher kings who bestride the business and political worlds. Michael Taylor, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2022 The alternative is to continue to bestride both systems and accept the consequence that trust—arguably the most important attribute of a communication tool like Zoom—is at the mercy of the Chinese Communist Party. The Economist, 20 June 2020 The offices are spooky-minimalist, and a colossal statue of a little girl bestrides the campus, her eyes glassy and piercing like a nightmare doll’s. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2020 His father spent years on the run and three uncles were sent to labour camps for opposing the dictatorship of Mathieu Kérékou, one of dozens of autocrats who bestrode Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. The Economist, 5 Mar. 2020 In Riyadh, Mohammed bin Salman bestrode the stage as a great modernizer. Josef Joffe, WSJ, 27 Jan. 2020 For a generation, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani bestrode the Middle East spreading terror and death. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 Jan. 2020 The tech sector today bestrides the U.S. economy like a colossus. Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2019 See More Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
bestride
verb
as in to straddle
to sit or ride with your legs on either side of (something) The dog liked to bestride the back of the sofa, and it was soon in tatters. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- straddle
- sit
- squat
- sprawl
- perch
- lounge
- slouch
- set
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rise
- stand
- arise
- get up