straggle

verb

strag·gle | \ ˈstra-gəl

straggled; straggling\ ˈstra-g(ə-)liŋ

Definition of straggle

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to wander from the direct course or way : rove, stray

2 : to trail off from others of its kind little cabins straggling off into the woods

straggle

noun

Definition of straggle (Entry 2 of 2)

: a straggling group (as of persons or objects)

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Examples of straggle in a Sentence

Verb

The children straggled in from outside. People straggled off the train. She straggled behind the rest of the group. Branches straggled out and blocked the path.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

New video surfacing from inside a department store shows a handful of straggling shoppers heading for the exits as Dillard's employees attempt to lock the entrance to the rest of the mall. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Police continue search for masked man who sparked panic inside Memorial City Mall," 12 Aug. 2019 As the passengers exit the bus and straggle inside the fenced-in military grounds, the camera pulls back to reveal an armed watchtower in the center and an American flag hovering over it all. — Aja Romano, Vox, "The Terror: Infamy turns America’s WWII internment camps into a bleak ghost story," 19 Aug. 2019 Man, were those straggling fans rewarded with a sight that brought the house down. — Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, "Giants take game, series from Phillies as Will Smith stars on the mound and plate," 11 Aug. 2019 In Ethiopia the tide may reach 1.5 million people—more than 15 times the emigrants now straggling annually through the Afar Triangle to reach the Middle East. — Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "A storyteller chronicles the mass migrations that define our age," 17 July 2019 An early winter had set in by November, and the ragged remains of the French army straggled back toward home, with thousands dying from cold, hunger and disease. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Remains of Napoleonic General Believed to Have Been Found in Russian Park," 12 July 2019 The last straggling commuters heading home Thursday were treated to a Bay Area sunset of epic proportion. — Patrick May, The Mercury News, "Epic Bay Area sunset: 15 great Instagram shots of Thursday night’s colors," 28 June 2019 Felipe Alonso Hoyos, too shy to make conversation with a woman, leans against the wooden bar with a friend, watching dancers straggle in and out. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column One: For lonely men in Spanish towns, the ‘caravan of women’ brings hope of love," 14 May 2019 As the group approached, the shelter’s glass doors swung open and the migrants straggled through, some carrying kids who were too young to walk. — Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, "Texas border chaos: Courts, families, government collide in zero-tolerance debacle," 22 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The next spring the vine leafed out solidly and there, somewhere in the foliage, hung one thin straggle of purple flowers. — Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, "Attack of the purple ‘bean trees’," 6 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'straggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.