a wide stance

USAGE SUMMARY

"a wide stance" is correct and usable in written English.
It usually refers to the stance one takes when standing or sitting. Example: She took a wide stance in order to feel more grounded and stable.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

Mays had a wide stance and took a small, quick stride, swinging at the pitch violently.

The New Yorker

Planting my legs in a wide stance, folding my arms defiantly, I eyeballed them back.

The New York Times

In concert Mr. Hayashi crouches with a wide stance before and beneath his drum.

The New York Times - Arts

From The Post's Tom Toles: "Republicans adopt a wide stance on budget responsibility:".

The Washington Post

The guy beside you has a wide stance and an overmedicated gaze that suggests he will drool during his sleep.

The New Yorker

Downstage, Truscott planted herself in a wide stance and windmilled her arms, then — delicately, even primly — spat a few times.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

9 human-written examples

With a wider stance, her bends grow deep again, the footwork is freed, the jump returns.

The New York Times - Arts

Recently, he began batting with a wider stance to have a steadier, less complicated base to support his rhythmic swing.

The New York Times - Sports

Eich said the reason Mozilla as a community did not take a wider stance on issues such as LGBT marriage was the same as his reason for not explaining his donation: to avoid fragmenting its community.

The Guardian - Tech

Keep your knees bent with one foot slightly behind the other in a wider stance.

Forbes

Next, to see whether a wider stance actually causes attractiveness and not the other way around, the researchers took to dating applications in San Francisco, California, recording how many people matched with fake profiles that had big or small stances.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a wide stance" to describe a posture that provides stability or asserts dominance, particularly in physical activities or confrontational situations.

Common error

Avoid using "a wide stance" when describing subtle nuances of body language, as it primarily conveys stability, aggression or an altered gait and may not be appropriate for all situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a wide stance" functions primarily as a descriptive noun phrase, modifying an action or state of being. It often indicates a physical posture or configuration that emphasizes stability, power, or balance. Ludwig AI shows this expression appears in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Wiki

27%

Science

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Academia

1%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a wide stance" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to describe a posture characterized by feet placed further apart than shoulder-width. Ludwig AI validates its correctness and common usage. It often conveys stability, power, or balance, and its usage spans from neutral to slightly formal depending on the context. While generally versatile, it is essential to ensure the context aligns with the physical implications of the phrase, avoiding its use in situations requiring more subtle descriptions of body language. Semantically related phrases such as "a broad footing" or "a splayed position" can offer alternative ways to express similar concepts with slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a broad footing

Replaces "stance" with "footing", emphasizing the physical foundation or base.

a splayed position

Focuses on the outward spread of the legs or feet.

an expansive gait

Refers to the manner of walking with a wide leg placement.

a spread-legged posture

Highlights the positioning of the legs in a spread-out manner.

an open-legged stance

Emphasizes the openness created by the wide positioning of the legs.

a straddling position

Suggests a stance where the legs are widely separated, often implying balance or stability.

a far-apart stance

Directly describes the distance between the feet or legs.

a spacious stance

Highlights the amount of space occupied by the stance.

an ample stance

Suggests a generous or considerable width in the stance.

a considerable base

Focuses on the stability provided by a wide separation of the feet.

FAQs

What does "a wide stance" mean?

"A wide stance" refers to a posture where the feet are placed further apart than the width of the shoulders, often to improve balance or convey a sense of stability and power.

How can I use "a wide stance" in a sentence?

You can use "a wide stance" to describe someone's posture, such as: "The wrestler adopted "a wide stance" to maintain his balance."

What are some alternative ways to describe a similar posture to "a wide stance"?

Similar phrases include "a broad footing", "a splayed position", or "an open-legged stance", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

In what situations might someone adopt "a wide stance"?

People might use "a wide stance" for various reasons, including improving stability during physical activities, displaying confidence or aggression, or compensating for balance issues.