STRAYS Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

strays

verb

present tense third-person singular of stray

as in wanders

to commit an offense our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 strays But don’t expect anything that strays too far from the Interpol sound. — David Harris, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026 Great Television rarely strays too far from these principles. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026 Advertisement Kelly Macdonald in Lanterns John Johnson—HBO Max Lanterns strays pretty far from its setup, as Lindelof shows tend to do. — Judy Berman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 Supermassive black holes are best known for their immense gravity, pulling in everything that strays too close, even light. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026 When the novel begins, Jeon-Gi is already middle-aged—his own children having recently left home—though his narration rarely strays from that delicate year leading up to his 11th birthday. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 But for the most part, the further the narrative strays from the search at its center, the clunkier its reliance on synecdoche becomes. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Princess Anne’s red lips The princess rarely strays from her beauty comfort zone. — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 20 June 2026 Like Manuel, the low-key manager rarely strays from the norm during his press briefings, stating the obvious and avoiding controversy. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strays

Verb

Third place was Japanese director Sabu’s Arrested Memory, a crime caper about a detective with dementia who unwittingly wanders off with a multimillion-dollar ransom, sending cops and criminals on his trail.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Perhaps most telling of all, Stone cuts the character of Carlotta, a governess born to circus performers who wanders through the play like a lost clown, origin-less, amused, and sad.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of wanders

Verb

Warmer temperatures associated with El Niño can mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow at lower elevations, while colder, higher elevations remain more likely to see accumulating snow.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
If unit cost falls while outcomes hold or improve, there may be a case to scale.

— Alec Scott, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

John DeWitt, the four-star general who oversaw the internment program, in particular, seems to be a forerunner to some of America's worst errors, paranoia, sins.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
God’s likeness, which is our true, spiritual identity, never sins and is never punished.

— Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025