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
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
Cornyn was quick to respond, reposting remarks from Jonah Wendt, communication director for former Vice President Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom, implicitly accusing TPUSA of straying from its founder’s vision with the endorsement.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 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
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
Cornyn was quick to respond, reposting remarks from Jonah Wendt, communication director for former Vice President Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom, implicitly accusing TPUSA of straying from its founder’s vision with the endorsement.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straying
Verb
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For a club that spent its early MLS years wandering through mediocrity, Pareja became the steady hand that finally made Orlando City a consistent contender.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
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But instead, the young bride was wandering the streets of London in the June heat, frustrated and distraught.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The city discourages trespassing on private property.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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But then the forests themselves start coming to life when they’re not supposed to, consuming the humans unwittingly trespassing on their land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conyears-Ervin, Chicago’s treasurer since 2019, launched her second bid for the seat after falling short of unseating incumbent Davis two years ago.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In fact, the temperature at Camp Mabry, Austin’s main weather observation site, tied the record for the largest 24-hour temperature drop, falling 58 degrees from a high of 97 degrees Sunday afternoon to a low of 39 degrees Monday morning.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straying. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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