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 second way this strays from a Daiquiri is in its heavy dose of Angostura Bitters, which adds tons of texture and the flavors of baking spice.
—
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
Internet commenters and auto critics responded negatively, saying the Luce strays from the brand’s usual aesthetic.
—Alexa St. John, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The distributor plans a moderate national expansion to about 375 screens (exact number still TBD) next week to let world of mouth percolate for the popular TIFF-premiering heist thriller by Daniel Roher about a piano tuner (up-and-comer Leo Woodall) who strays into safecracking.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 May 2026
Her family had 15 cats and several dogs, most of them strays.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
The Alma set is an elevated geometric option for the person who prefers a pattern that strays from the traditional stripe or floral.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Bridget Woodman, with the research group Zero Carbon Analytics, said that as the world strays farther off track from its climate goals, nuclear can look deceptively more enticing than other less risky alternatives, like renewable energy.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
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, 22 Feb. 2026
Becket questions some of his actions from time to time but never really strays from the path.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
Internet commenters and auto critics responded negatively, saying the Luce strays from the brand’s usual aesthetic.
—Alexa St. John, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The distributor plans a moderate national expansion to about 375 screens (exact number still TBD) next week to let world of mouth percolate for the popular TIFF-premiering heist thriller by Daniel Roher about a piano tuner (up-and-comer Leo Woodall) who strays into safecracking.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 May 2026
Her family had 15 cats and several dogs, most of them strays.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
The Alma set is an elevated geometric option for the person who prefers a pattern that strays from the traditional stripe or floral.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Bridget Woodman, with the research group Zero Carbon Analytics, said that as the world strays farther off track from its climate goals, nuclear can look deceptively more enticing than other less risky alternatives, like renewable energy.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
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, 22 Feb. 2026
Becket questions some of his actions from time to time but never really strays from the path.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strays
Verb
-
The lagoon, which wanders almost the entire length of the garden, adds a swath of blue to this oasis of green.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
In its most scenic moments, the train wanders along the island’s coastline and through rainforest, and sugar cane fields.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
When the first of a month falls on a weekend or holiday, the latter being the case for January’s payment, SSI payments are issued on the last weekday of the previous month.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Dec. 2025
-
So most of them [films] at the time, there’s the melodrama — the poor girl falls with a rich boy, and then the family against her, blah, blah, same old story.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Dec. 2025
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 Spirit is grieved when a believer sins.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strays. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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