How to Use stray in a Sentence

stray

1 of 3 noun

• Both of her cats were strays that she found wandering in the neighborhood.
• Dog found as stray lost both eyes.
  — Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
• This sweet gray boy came to us as a stray.
  — Arkansas Online, 25 Jan. 2026
• Murdock is not like most strays, though.
  — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
• One stray bullet hit Jeff’s spine.
  — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 21 June 2026
• They were picked up as strays, but their rescuer them couldn’t keep them.
  — Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2025
• Living as a stray can often play a part.
  — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
• He was brought in as a stray and because he was injured.
  — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
• Archer was also a stray who showed up at the shelter about six weeks ago.
  — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
• Trump’s allies have also caught strays.
  — Jack Dunn, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
• He was found as a stray and is now looking for his forever home.
  — The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2022
• Found as a stray on the streets, $lim has taken her second chance at life in stride.
  — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
• Likewise, over half of the animals picked up as strays were dogs.
  — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
• Of this number, 60 percent came in as strays.
  — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
• Our little rescue doodle had been a stray on the streets; no one knew for how long.
  — Johnny Runnette, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2022
• Apple entered a shelter as a stray.
  — Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
• As the scared dogs were shepherded one by one into the van, there was one stray among the strays.
  — Washington Post, 25 June 2021
• The report did not mention whether any arrests had been made, nor whether the cats were strays or pets.
  — Chris Lau, CNN, 24 Oct. 2023
• Lucky was a stray and had been taken in by neighbors of ours in Conroe.
  — Annette McGivney, Outside Online, 4 Apr. 2022
• Authorities said the dog was not a stray, and its owner is aware that it was killed.
  — Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2023
• Pam’s journey toward adoption started when she was picked up as a stray.
  — Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
• First, the shelter often uses certain themes to name strays that come in.
  — Sydney Page, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2023
• Re-home stray items from high-traffic areas to reduce clutter and stress.
  — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
• Tonight remains mild and breezy, with clouds around and a few stray showers still possible.
  — Justin Lewis, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
• Also in need of a new home is Breeze, a 1-year-old, white and brown guinea pig that was a stray.
  — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2022
• Nearby, half a dozen stray dogs lie in the shade of a tree, sniffing at rotting apples on the ground.
  — Ian Lovett, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
• Roll over tabletops, floors, and even clothing to pick up stray sparkles without spreading them around.
  — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 11 Apr. 2026
• And with that, production cuts to Britani, who can’t help but catch strays left and right.
  — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
• And with that, production cuts to Britani, who can’t help but catch strays left and right.
  — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
• The story of the stalwart stray went viral, covered by news outlets around the world.
  — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024

stray

2 of 3 verb

• The airplane strayed off course.
• Don’t stray from the recipe here!
  — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
• Don’t stray from the recipe here!
  — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
• Her eyes strayed back to her phone.
  — Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
• But none of them ever strayed far from their love of the peaks.
  — Outside, 25 Sep. 2025
• The 5-year-old bull had strayed from his herd in search of a good graze.
  — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
• The chance of rain is low, but stray showers can't be ruled out.
  — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
• Hann, by contrast, had strayed far from the main green, long a site for protests.
  — TIME, 19 Dec. 2023
• Healthy, stray cats that are picked up and brought to the shelter will be turned away.
  — Eva Flowe june 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2026
• Hudson felt the new line strayed a bit away from what he’s largely known for.
  — Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 11 Sep. 2023
• Pick a style that'll keep you from having to swat away stray strands during your vows.
  — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
• Where he was born never strays from Bobby’s mind.
  — Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
• And that comet that strayed into our turf from another star?
  — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
• Pikiell has always won with defense and strayed from that last season.
  — Cj Moore, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
• What about a flock of birds or stray tree branch blocking a tower’s signal?
  — IEEE Spectrum, 29 July 2025
• That’s the penalty for straying from Google.
  — Swan Huntley, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
• These days, the best peacoats don’t stray too far from the original.
  — Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 16 Nov. 2023
• Some of the officers’ stray rounds hit a nearby garage, a truck and a fence.
  — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023
• Rarely did her expression stray from a furrowed brow.
  — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
• Rain chances hold off until midday, when a light, stray shower could pop.
  — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2023
• The site is teeming with birds, and stray dogs roam everywhere.
  — Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 27 May 2026
• That said, trends didn’t stray too far from yesteryear either.
  — Joyce Onuorah, Essence, 22 Dec. 2023
• Overnight, skies may cloud up a bit as a slight chance of a brief, stray shower rolls through the region.
  — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2023
• Oregon isn’t going to stray from the style Graves’ teams have played over the years.
  — oregonlive, 25 Oct. 2022
• If parties stray off course, anything can happen.
  — Owen Clarke, Outside, 25 Sep. 2025
• This is why most hosts do not stray far from the door as the party starts and the guests descend in a clump.
  — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
• Other clubs have been punished for straying, though.
  — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
• And come this weekend, there will be at least one more player who opted to stray from the script.
  — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2026
• His fingers stray to the collar of his T-shirt, giving it a tug.
  — Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2022
• On closer inspection, the comma turns out to be some schmutz or stray ink.
  — Han Ong, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023

stray

3 of 3 adjective

• Only a few stray bulbs lit the stage.
  — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
• Don't leave out food for stray cats, either.
  — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
• Don't leave out food for stray cats, either.
  — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
• Had a stray dog run up the stairs, knocking down the plant?
  — Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
• Allen, 6, was hit by a stray bullet.
  — Reg Chapman, CBS News, 16 May 2026
• For one, the flat edges of facets become sources of stray light.
  — IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2023
• During the same game, a fan was hit by a stray puck in the stands.
  — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
• There may be a stray sprinkle at some point, but that's about it.
  — Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
• The chance of rain is low, but a stray shower can't be ruled out.
  — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
• Perhaps a stray Chelsea boot in need of a home.
  — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
• The towels reek like the stray dogs her husband brings home.
  — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
• 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 girlfriend was grazed by a stray bullet.
  — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
• Names and scenarios have been changed, and stray plots dropped.
  — Missy Frederick, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
• Most areas stay dry, though a stray shower can't be ruled out.
  — Justin Lewis, CBS News, 14 May 2026
• At the time, she was found as a stray puppy and matched with an owner.
  — Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025
• Stay away from wildlife and stray animals, and make sure your pets do as well.
  — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
• The crackdown on stray shopping carts.
  — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
• The stray bullet hit Spence in the torso.
  — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
• The dogs were chasing stray cats and jumping onto a car.
  — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
• Use a rake to remove stray blades and other debris around the crown.
  — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2025
• Bedbugs bite them at night and stray bullets fly before dawn.
  — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
• Gay men of New York, watch out for stray carriages on the street.
  — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
• The book requires slow, careful reading; there’s not a stray word in it.
  — The Know, Denver Post, 4 June 2026
• Every shoe, every coat, every stray piece of mail.
  — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
• Most of the time stays dry, but a stray shower can pop up at almost any point later.
  — Justin Lewis, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
• Maybe a Granny Smith apple slice or a stray grape found in the back of the fridge.
  — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 30 Aug. 2023
• Someone told me about a couple of stray goats that needed a home and asked me to take care of them.
  — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
• This includes stray rounds, shells, or empty casings.
  — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
• His previous owner had rescued him as a stray six years ago.
  — Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025