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
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 July 2025
The cafe’s name Nabi means butterfly in Korean, and is also a common nickname in Korea for stray cats.
—Grayson Labarreare, Mercury News, 15 July 2025
Andrew Kunesh, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2025
To witness in real time the writers stray so far from the stories that set us up for adult life can feel like a kind of betrayal.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stray
Adjective
Compost piles can house wasps and rodents while also attracting every stray dog and raccoon in the neighborhood.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 July 2025
The cafe’s name Nabi means butterfly in Korean, and is also a common nickname in Korea for stray cats.
—Grayson Labarreare, Mercury News, 15 July 2025
Verb
Another standout feature of the Citi Strata Elite card is its points earning structure, which strays from that of competitors in the market.
—Andrew Kunesh, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2025
To witness in real time the writers stray so far from the stories that set us up for adult life can feel like a kind of betrayal.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
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In case of doubt, competent authorities may carry out random on-site inspections of cybersecurity standards in the companies, for which the management can be held liable.—
Dennis-Kenji Kipker,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Until then, the random Week 17 NFL game will prove to be a downgrade from Peacock’s exclusive Week 1 game last season — the league’s first-ever regular-season game in South America — which itself was a downgrade from its own preceding season’s exclusive NFL Wild Card Weekend game.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Tamura also carried a private investigator license and had a misdemeanor for trespassing not amounting to burglary in 2023.—
Bradford Betz , Brooke Curto , Kyle Schmidbauer,
FOXNews.com,
29 July 2025
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In 2021, a man from Maine plead guilty to trespassing on Old Faithful and was sentenced to 15 days in jail, McClatchy News reported.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Sacbee.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
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There are also shots of Slurp wandering through a Christmas carnival, Tyler hiding in what appears to be a sewer before emerging back into civilization in a cloak, and Enid nervously wielding a sword.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
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Kids and adults can take part in homesteading classes, check out a show in the 30-foot planetarium dome, participate in seasonal programming, or simply wander around the properties’ six historic buildings, including a drugstore, school, church, and cabin.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In some ways, are triple doubles an arbitrary achievement?—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Lalami clearly needed a way to get Sara home to end the book, and springing her in this way is consistent with the arbitrary nature of her incarceration and the mercurial behavior of her keepers.—
Book Marks
August 7,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But, if wages don’t rise to match those jumps, consumer spending could fall and slow the economy.—
Raul Elizalde,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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But critics say the global response has fallen dangerously short, despite the fact that $1.1 billion has been pledged by countries, foundations and international organizations to support mpox control.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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