STRAYING Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

straying

verb

present participle of stray

as in wandering

to commit an offense our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of straying Hundreds of wild horses straying outside a swath of territory spanning California and Nevada are set to be rounded up starting Wednesday, July 8. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 8 July 2026 About 50 yards below me a water fence is built out into the river to keep cattle from straying. — Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026 This is a commonsense safety upgrade that would enable drivers to tether their horses and prevent them from straying. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 22 June 2026 Over the decades the O’odham placed some barbed wire along the border to keep livestock from straying into the neighboring country, limiting the spread of maladies such as foot-and-mouth disease and hindering cattle thieves. — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 The incursion underscores a growing pattern of Russian and Ukrainian drones straying into Eastern Europe, raising questions about air defenses as NATO and EU leaders condemn Moscow and weigh further sanctions. — Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 The lawsuit accuses Altman and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. — ABC News, 12 May 2026 But since then, OpenAI’s structure has shifted – and Musk, the richest man on earth, claims its executives and Microsoft have unjustly enriched themselves by straying from the company’s original charitable mission. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026 The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. — Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straying

Verb

Outdoor experiences are just as compelling, from kayaking through mangroves at the Environmental Learning Center to wandering the lush landscapes of McKee Botanical Garden.

— Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Two months ago, he was discovered wandering the San Francisco streets, blocks away from his typical habitat and suffering from severe malnutrition.

— Liz Gray, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

Instead of Cady as rapist, Cape Fear seems to be going for a general theme of Cady as violator, someone who is trespassing not singularly on a female body but on the Bowdens’ trustworthiness.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Kaufmyn was found guilty of interfering with a business, trespassing with intent to interfere with a business, unlawful assembly and refusal to disburse at a riot.

— Tim Fang, CBS News, 10 June 2026

Definition of trespassing

Verb

The skyscraper has been the subject of multiple complaints, including allegations of falling debris and unsafe conditions, records show.

— Kelly McCleary, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
After receiving a report of bricks falling from the 37-story building, fire officials said two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors, while floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors.

— Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 8 July 2026