as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to trespass
to commit an offense
our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stray
Steven Sosna, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The closure is tied to an effort to trap and capture two stray dogs — one white and one brown — that have been spotted in the area since March.
—Ryan Brennan
april 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
According to the animal charity, ducklings do not usually stray far from their parents.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stray
Adjective
While there could be a stray shower or two, most of the night does look rain-free.
—Steven Sosna, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The closure is tied to an effort to trap and capture two stray dogs — one white and one brown — that have been spotted in the area since March.
—Ryan Brennan
april 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI's CEO, and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company's founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
According to the animal charity, ducklings do not usually stray far from their parents.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
-
Those aren’t just random stories.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Law enforcement will also have random checkpoints throughout the county to catch impaired drivers, according to the department's website.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Emory claimed that day that those arrested were outsiders who trespassed on school property.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
While monitoring predators at Python Cave — which is home to Egyptian fruit bats confirmed to be infected with the virus — in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park, scientists recorded hundreds of humans trespassing to visit the area.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The back parking lot, once a nasty no man’s land where drunken customers wandered off to urinate, has recently been transformed into a performance space that has hosted small gigs including Duane Betts.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
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But, as Chen and Shrivastava wandered a Texas restaurant conference, a Dallas heating and air company called Rescue Air found them.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The fundamental processes governing brain health — genetics, neural and synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation — do not respect the arbitrary boundaries drawn between neurology and psychiatry.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
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White-Jacket did cause a stir with its discussion of the arbitrary and cruel use of flogging in the US Navy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His portfolio fell 44% in the dot-com crash, and sustained a 40% loss in 2008.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Lee then came up to the plate and fell behind in the count 1-2.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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