as in wanders
to commit an offense
our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow
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Recent Examples of strays
The best time to trim leggy or strays stems, shoots, vines, and branches is during the plant’s growing season.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
Merciless, vile, and downright sadistic, The Rite delivers stunning entertainment that strays away from depending on shadows and eerie atmospheres.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Balenciaga strays away from a more experimental fashion approach the maison has been pushing under Demna, but also under its founder.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2025
Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician whose support was key to Kennedy’s final confirmation, and Senator John Barrasso, a surgeon and the number two Republican in the Senate, who rarely strays from the party line.
—ABC News, 7 Sep. 2025
The actual practice is noticing when your attention strays and bringing your mind back to your breath, linking your mind and body together in the present moment.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
Merciless, vile, and downright sadistic, The Rite delivers stunning entertainment that strays away from depending on shadows and eerie atmospheres.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Balenciaga strays away from a more experimental fashion approach the maison has been pushing under Demna, but also under its founder.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2025
Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician whose support was key to Kennedy’s final confirmation, and Senator John Barrasso, a surgeon and the number two Republican in the Senate, who rarely strays from the party line.
—ABC News, 7 Sep. 2025
The actual practice is noticing when your attention strays and bringing your mind back to your breath, linking your mind and body together in the present moment.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strays
Verb
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Anders wanders Oslo like a spectre.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Now free, Alma’s emaciated, adult form wanders the world, unending rage bent on revenge.—
Will Borger,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So Nude pair falls neatly in line — proof that even in full-metal glamour, minimalism with an edge is having a very good year.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Man’s Best Friend slips 5-6 on the latest Billboard 200 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned (down 8%), while Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving falls 6-7 (37,000, down 3%).—
Keith Caulfield,
Billboard,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strays. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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