as in wandering
to commit an offense
our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow
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Recent Examples of straying
Then there was the case of the Waukegan woman who froze to death on the hospital’s roof after straying from her room.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
But many Cubans blame their own leaders for mismanaging the economy — and straying from the ideals of Castro’s revolution.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The filmmakers make an intentional decision to avoid actually sharing footage of Black deaths and anti-Black police violence on screen to avoid straying into morbid spectacle, which is a commendable ethical choice most non-Black filmmakers might not have made.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
In 2016, 10 US marines were held after straying into Iranian waters near the island.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026
The March 2 report on the Comanche 3 coal plant, which hasn’t worked since August, has raised concerns about Xcel, Colorado’s largest electric utility, straying from its timeline to phase out coal facilities.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Smith reached for the catch, his foot straying from the plate for a perilous split-second before landing just in time.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
In one reading, Louise’s terrorist arc is a refreshing subversion of the political correctness of Cash’s millennial forebears, the Patricia Lockwoods and Sally Rooneys and Sheila Hetis of the world, who might never dream of straying from their lane of lived experience.
—Malavika Kannan, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Kraft Heinz has lost out to rivals, with Cahillane saying a recent spate of price hikes alienated consumers who were already straying from its brands in favor of healthier alternatives at a lower cost.
—Reuters
wire Service, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
But many Cubans blame their own leaders for mismanaging the economy — and straying from the ideals of Castro’s revolution.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The filmmakers make an intentional decision to avoid actually sharing footage of Black deaths and anti-Black police violence on screen to avoid straying into morbid spectacle, which is a commendable ethical choice most non-Black filmmakers might not have made.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
In 2016, 10 US marines were held after straying into Iranian waters near the island.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026
The March 2 report on the Comanche 3 coal plant, which hasn’t worked since August, has raised concerns about Xcel, Colorado’s largest electric utility, straying from its timeline to phase out coal facilities.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Smith reached for the catch, his foot straying from the plate for a perilous split-second before landing just in time.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
In one reading, Louise’s terrorist arc is a refreshing subversion of the political correctness of Cash’s millennial forebears, the Patricia Lockwoods and Sally Rooneys and Sheila Hetis of the world, who might never dream of straying from their lane of lived experience.
—Malavika Kannan, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Kraft Heinz has lost out to rivals, with Cahillane saying a recent spate of price hikes alienated consumers who were already straying from its brands in favor of healthier alternatives at a lower cost.
—Reuters
wire Service, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straying
Verb
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These suede clog mules are an easy choice for everything, including early bakery runs, long travel days, and wandering through mountain towns.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
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The two-day search for a missing 12-year-old girl came to a surprising end when she was discovered wandering a Dollar General store, according to investigators in North Carolina.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More than two months after the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom in an apparent kidnapping, residents in Nancy Guthrie's Catalina Foothills neighborhood have complained about vloggers and amateur journalists trespassing, the Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed to USA TODAY.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Upward of 1,500 people were arrested in connection with the riot, most of whom had been convicted or pleaded guilty to charges ranging from trespassing to assaulting police officers.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By 2025, Anderson — then 59 and nearing completion of her bachelor’s degree — was failing classes and falling behind on bills.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) says lead paint is falling from six Baltimore-area bridges and contaminating waterways.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straying. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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