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 In August, at Finland’s request, the Swedish government deployed fighter aircraft and a warship to help patrol Finland’s eastern airspace and the Gulf of Finland against Russian air incursions and drones straying from Ukrainian operations. — Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026 Charlie Weasley is a minor character in the books and does not appear in the films, so the HBO series is straying from the movies regarding Ron Weasley’s older brother. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026 With Johnson rarely straying from the topic during his tight set, Katie Zacharia’s five-day stint got what will probably be its best tribute and final bit of attention. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 As all women know, the more sparkle, the better (without straying into tacky territory, that is). — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 Telhou uses primal shouts to keep the herd together, while Saâdia uses a slingshot contraption to skillfully throw stones at straying goats. — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026 The sheep were straying from the road, veering through the front yards of homeowners who weren’t in the grazing program. — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 At 31, his playing career appears to be finished, or certainly straying dangerously close to that position. — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The clock is ticking, not just because Gideon may be straying further from the light, but because Kylie is unknowingly tampering with dark forces to save him. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straying

Verb

The British manufacturer may have realized that the typical Tiger 1200 spends considerably more time eating up highway miles, tackling daily commutes and wandering along the occasional gravel track than navigating genuinely challenging terrain.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Vision, meanwhile, explores a more attenuated past by wandering through basement rooms, connecting with AIs spanning the history of his lineage.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

Those who visit the site are trespassing, and Rafford said the owner cites safety concerns.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Israel wages war on childhood because a Palestinian child at play is already trespassing upon the future Israel has reserved for itself.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of trespassing

Verb

The Senate homeland security committee has one of the broadest investigative jurisdictions in Congress, with instances of waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, and mismanagement across the federal government all falling within the panel’s purview.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
In a potentially troublesome sign for the future, analysts have noted that while tech earnings remain strong, many of their potential clients are struggling, with borrowing weak and non-AI investment falling.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026