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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stray
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
With the help of local feeders, Malik vaccinates stray dogs in Noida.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stray
Adjective
The stray dogs living at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are not allowed to leave, per CFF's website, so Dogs of Chernobyl does its best to care for the dogs stuck there.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
Positive opinions of his job performance have not strayed beyond a percentage point or two from its current 40% for more than five months, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
With the help of local feeders, Malik vaccinates stray dogs in Noida.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
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Rumors have swirled that Jaramillo was at the center of an ambush or that his murder was part of planned retribution, but Cordero-Stutz reaffirmed that his death was a random encounter that could have happened to any deputy that day.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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This is the random bunch of misfits Courteney will have to transform into a team competitive enough to make it to nationals, and that will surely start to form one big family along the way.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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More than two years after the fatal shooting, Lorincz maintained her side of the story that the kids had trespassed on her property and threatened her life.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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On Monday, authorities received reports of a shirtless man trespassing at a residence in Bedias – located about 150 miles south of Alvarado – the previous day, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The core loop spans 18 miles with 4,500 feet of elevation gain, winding from Colchuck Lake’s turquoise waters to the Upper Enchantment Basin’s moonscape of polished granite and scattered tarns.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
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Michigan residents are in for another seasonable week, with cooler temperatures and scattered rain, according to the National Weather Service.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rio has several bairros, or neighborhoods, but Barros prefers to wander the winding streets of the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, a hilly district with an artistic vibe, colonial architecture, and panoramic views of the city.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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Kyle MacLachlan was wandering around the Paramour Estate in Silver Lake, the lavish former home of silent film star Antonio Moreno and his wife and oil heiress Daisey Canfield last night.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Landor should ahve been protected by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, passed unanimously by Congress in 2000 to prevent state and local prisons from placing arbitrary or unnecessary restrictions on religious practices.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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The notion of a non-arbitrary, standard length got a boost in the early days of physics, with the idea of a length that could be held to a standard that anyone on Earth could adhere to.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Two things happened on that blustery back-to-school morning that fell exactly a month after my eleventh birthday.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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