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
There are spots for potential changes throughout the Yankees’ roster, though there aren’t indications the team plans on straying from the current cast.
—
Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
According to the report, a 911 caller said that Gigliotti had walked out of his apartment, hit his head on a vehicle, and started straying into traffic.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
Set the scene Crossing the threshold of Aman Kyoto is a bit like straying into a fairytale.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The model has captioned her Instagram photos in multiple languages, bouncing back and forth between them and occasionally straying into other languages that aren’t listed on her résumé.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Since taking the post, Inboden has criticized universities as straying from their mission, saying universities must restore intellectual diversity and their civic responsibilities.
—Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Ross needs to continue to make bold and unique decisions, straying from his norms.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, repairable computer maker Framework released a laptop that can support a RISC-V mainboard, bringing open-source architecture to the masses—or at least, developers and early adopters interested in straying from mainstream closed architectures.
—Gwendolyn Rak, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2025
There is her pencil, hovering, pouncing, picking away at punctuation marks, at faulty typography, but never, never straying toward faulty propaganda lines.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
According to the report, a 911 caller said that Gigliotti had walked out of his apartment, hit his head on a vehicle, and started straying into traffic.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
Set the scene Crossing the threshold of Aman Kyoto is a bit like straying into a fairytale.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The model has captioned her Instagram photos in multiple languages, bouncing back and forth between them and occasionally straying into other languages that aren’t listed on her résumé.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Since taking the post, Inboden has criticized universities as straying from their mission, saying universities must restore intellectual diversity and their civic responsibilities.
—Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Ross needs to continue to make bold and unique decisions, straying from his norms.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, repairable computer maker Framework released a laptop that can support a RISC-V mainboard, bringing open-source architecture to the masses—or at least, developers and early adopters interested in straying from mainstream closed architectures.
—Gwendolyn Rak, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2025
There is her pencil, hovering, pouncing, picking away at punctuation marks, at faulty typography, but never, never straying toward faulty propaganda lines.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straying
Verb
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But the legislation kept that data hidden from public view, so agencies can hire wandering cops in secret – and small-town budgets create a powerful incentive to do so.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Doctors are not a flock of free-range chickens wandering about offices and hospitals and making up best practices, one clinician at the time.—
Robert M. Califf,
STAT,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Elizabeth and her family are attending as guests and Michael is caught trespassing.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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Municipal Judge Margo Kirchner has ruled that Paul Florsheim, a Shorewood resident and professor at the University of Wisconsin − Milwaukee, was trespassing on private property while walking along Lake Michigan last summer.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 83-year-old senator has had multiple health issues over the past few years, including publicly freezing during a press conference in 2023 and falling ahead of a Senate vote in October 2025.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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Among the videos, prosecutors wrote, is one that shows the bullet hitting Kirk, blood coming from his neck and Kirk falling from his chair.—
Matthew Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straying. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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