stride

1 of 2

verb

strode ˈstrōd How to pronounce stride (audio) ; stridden ˈstri-dᵊn How to pronounce stride (audio) ; striding ˈstrī-diŋ How to pronounce stride (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to stand astride
2
: to move with or as if with long steps
strode across the room
3
: to take a very long step

transitive verb

1
2
: to step over
3
: to move over or along with or as if with long measured steps
striding the boardwalk
strider noun

stride

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a cycle of locomotor movements (as of a horse) completed when the feet regain the initial relative positions
also : the distance traversed in a stride
b
: the most effective natural pace : maximum competence or capability
often used in the phrase hit one's stride
2
: a long step
3
: an act of striding
4
: a stage of progress : advance
made great strides toward their goal
5
: a manner of striding
6
Phrases
in stride
1
: without interference with regular activities
2
: without emotional reaction
took the news in stride

Examples of stride in a Sentence

Verb She strode across the room towards me. a gang of armed men strode into the bank and approached the teller Noun She crossed the room in only a few strides. He was standing only a few strides away from me. He has a distinctive bouncy stride. She entered the room with a confident stride.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The 19-year-old American strode in wearing a white linen sundress. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 The ads open with a stirring violin track, the subject striding confidently past the Broadway facade of the L.A. County Hall of Justice, or the Temple Street face of the United States Courthouse, or the Art Deco tower of City Hall. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 After finishing his work in the covered batting cages, Sandoval strode down the right field line at about 11 a.m. and was greeted by cheers from the fans, ready to revel in nostalgia. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2024 And the gargantuan marine mammals made quite the entrance, gently striding through the blue waters. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2024 On Valentine’s Day, Bradley Cooper strode onto the stage of Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, flush with exuberance in his tux. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Lukas sings the role with polish and power, and uses shifts in his physical bearing, from striding confidence to slouching defeat, to help tell Arnstein’s story. Elaine Schmidt, Journal Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 Soloist Pacho Flores strode on stage in front of the San Diego Symphony, perilously carrying two trumpets and a cornet. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 Our girl has popped out in her gold dress and lace-up stilettos with our annual reminder to bid farewell to the drama of 2023 and stride into a happier, healthier, and more prosperous 2024. Essence, 21 Jan. 2024
Noun
The former Philadelphia Eagles center discussed his NFL retirement on the latest episode of the 'New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce' podcast Jason Kelce is taking his retirement in stride. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Still, Blunt took the upset in stride and looked stunning while doing so. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 There was an obvious opening in the back of her custom Louis Vuitton peplum gown, but the two-time Academy Award-winner took the snafu in stride. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 But Downey takes it in stride, motioning to his nose in knowing fashion from the crowd. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Ray of Light' (1998) Another huge artistic stride, this single was seen as Madonna reclaiming her spot on the front lines of the dance-pop revolution, bringing in producer William Orbit for a clattering gem of a track with elements of techno, trance and electronic dance. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 Canales takes such challenges in stride, playing the long game. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Some mountain residents are taking the warnings in stride. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Moore calls on Ukraine to step up its anti-corruption efforts, which have made strides under President Volodymyr Zelensky but failed to stamp out bribery and other bad behavior. Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stride.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English strīdan; akin to Middle Low German striden to straddle, Old High German strītan to quarrel

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stride was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stride

Cite this Entry

“Stride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stride. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stride

1 of 2 verb
strode ˈstrōd How to pronounce stride (audio) ; stridden ˈstrid-ᵊn How to pronounce stride (audio) ; striding ˈstrīd-iŋ How to pronounce stride (audio)
1
: to move with or as if with long even steps
strode across the room
2
: to take a very long step
strider noun

stride

2 of 2 noun
1
: a step or the distance covered by a step
2
: a way of striding
3
: the most effective natural pace
often used in the phrase hit one's stride
4
: a step forward : advance
made great strides toward their goal

More from Merriam-Webster on stride

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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