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
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.
Verb
The intended message of this joint observance of Armistice Day – the first since Winston Churchill strode side-by-side with Gen. Charles de Gaulle in 1944 – was to reaffirm and reinvigorate the bond between two of Europe’s leading political, economic, and military powers. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2024 That evening, the artist, who uses all pronouns, strode down the grassy hill of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles wearing a flowing floral gown and carrying a saxophone. Wren Sanders, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
Noun
Under the Jenny leadership, Doxa has made strides into other areas of the watch market that are likely more profitable than serving a nerdy contingency of folks nostalgic for the glory days of analog SCUBA diving. Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024 Voters took Trump’s own advanced age and increasingly incoherent trail rhetoric in stride. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stride 

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 30 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!