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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stray
Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 May 2025
During a firefight in their neighborhood, a stray bullet pierced their window and struck Neema in the ribs, killing both her and the baby.
—Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 5 May 2025
Gwyneth Paltrow recently shared on her podcast that she's strayed from her strict Paleo diet after following it for years.
—Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stray
Adjective
Some of the White House’s demands on Harvard — which include addressing administrative bloat and federal control over hiring decisions — stray from the issue at hand and may be vulnerable to challenge.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 May 2025
During a firefight in their neighborhood, a stray bullet pierced their window and struck Neema in the ribs, killing both her and the baby.
—Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
Verb
Musk, an original co-founder of OpenAI, filed suit against Altman and OpenAI, alleging the company strayed from its roots to pursue profits over benefiting the public good.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 5 May 2025
Gwyneth Paltrow recently shared on her podcast that she's strayed from her strict Paleo diet after following it for years.
—Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
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Mother Nature is unpredictable, fickle, random at best.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
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Clean out the dust and refresh thermal paste: Older desktops tend to overheat, which can slow things down or cause random shutdowns.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2025
Verb
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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka returned to the gates of an ICE detention center days after he was arrested for allegedly trespassing at the same facility.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2025
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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who last week was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly trespassing at a detention center, and Representative Josh Gottheimer each had the backing of 9 percent of respondents.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
Verb
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George, a backyard community cat who took up residence at the Loma Verde complex in Lakeland, Florida, grew impatient after getting neutered at the local SPCA and wandered nearly three miles back home, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE on Monday, May 19.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
19 May 2025
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Researchers aimed to estimate the number of deaths each year caused by two factors: inadequate fencing to prevent young children from wandering into swimming pools and Americans not wearing a life jacket while boating.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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But Laxe’s cadence of death is nasty and arbitrary and delightful.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
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These bills would formalize what the Parole Board should already be doing and therefore limit arbitrary rejections.—
Julia Salazar,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Still, after being widely projected as a Day 2 talent, Webb fell undrafted in April.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 May 2025
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Bonds fell too, with the 10-year yield rising 3 basis points to 6.38%, though further declines were limited by debt purchases by the monetary authority.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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