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
Damien Lodes, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Rain chances are expected to drop during the day on Friday, but a stray evening storm can’t be ruled out.
—Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
The lawsuit centers on Musk’s claims that OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has strayed from its original mission as a nonprofit research center.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stray
Adjective
Memorial Day weekend will have highs in the 80s and a few stray showers and storm chances.
—Damien Lodes, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Rain chances are expected to drop during the day on Friday, but a stray evening storm can’t be ruled out.
—Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, civilians fall victim to stray bullets.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
The lawsuit centers on Musk’s claims that OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has strayed from its original mission as a nonprofit research center.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
-
The Tennessee Titans went back to the streets quizzing random people in their schedule reveal in a twist to the team’s 2023 schedule reveal.—
Teresa M. Walker,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
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In 2019, Mohsin went to pick up his mother at her vegetable stand in Nyala, South Darfur, when armed men stormed the area and shot villagers at random.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Walking on private ground without permission is clearly trespassing in Montana.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
-
Washington explained what happened the night a man trespassed onto airport property, and then was hit and killed by an airplane in the process of takeoff.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Prediction markets can turn scattered information about elections, inflation, corporate earnings and geopolitical risks into useful forecasts.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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Midwest The Midwest will see some scattered rain on Friday.—
Kyle David,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Some were like Rex, found wandering the streets and turned in to the sanctuary.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
18 May 2026
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Neighbors said Dahir would frequently wander around, according to WDRB.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The case has become one of the most emblematic examples cited by rights organizations accusing Venezuela’s security apparatus of using arbitrary detention, incommunicado imprisonment and forced disappearances against dissidents and suspected opponents.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
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Her work-from-home job requires her to maintain a minimum internet connection of 65 Mbps in downloads, which is subject to arbitrary testing.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Trees with root problems and those near sidewalks or drives are the first to fall too.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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But while our bodies can develop immunity to viruses, even the savviest of travelers can fall victim to pickpockets on their travels.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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