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
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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
Examples of stray in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dominique Fluker, Essence, 11 Sep. 2024
Approaching stray dogs with humanity Turkey isn’t the only country with a sizable stray dog population.
—Sam Delgado, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024
Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024
Put guardrails on the conversation and take turns talking, being careful not to stray into a fight.
—John Frank, Axios, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray 
Adjective
My father, Lionel, was killed by a stray bullet in 2013; and in October 2023, my mother, Adrienne, died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 11 Sep. 2024
Approaching stray dogs with humanity Turkey isn’t the only country with a sizable stray dog population.
—Sam Delgado, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024
Verb
Second, Nuzzi is 31, and Kennedy, straying into Hugh Hefner territory, is 70.
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024
Put guardrails on the conversation and take turns talking, being careful not to stray into a fight.
—John Frank, Axios, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near stray
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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