as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to trespass
to commit an offense
our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 stray
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
Compost piles can house wasps and rodents while also attracting every stray dog and raccoon in the neighborhood.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 June 2026
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
25 June 2026
About 50 yards below me a water fence is built out into the river to keep cattle from straying.
—
Ralph Tuttle,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stray
Adjective
Hot, dry conditions across states from California to Colorado to Utah have officials worried that any stray spark from fireworks could ignite an out-of-control conflagration.
—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
Compost piles can house wasps and rodents while also attracting every stray dog and raccoon in the neighborhood.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 June 2026
Verb
Notion, however, has strayed from releasing direct follow-up products to Skiff’s portfolio.
—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
25 June 2026
About 50 yards below me a water fence is built out into the river to keep cattle from straying.
—
Ralph Tuttle,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
-
Luka Dončić got traded at midnight on a random Saturday in February.
-
Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death.
Verb
-
Instead of Cady as rapist, Cape Fear seems to be going for a general theme of Cady as violator, someone who is trespassing not singularly on a female body but on the Bowdens’ trustworthiness.
-
The government has no place to trespass on a founding principle of this nation.
Adjective
-
If your data is messy, scattered or stale, the AI output fails.
-
At Mariposa Market in Willits, grocery items, wine bottles and other merchandise tumbled from shelves, leaving aisles littered with broken glass and scattered products.
Verb
-
Throughout the weekend, someone wandering around Mass MoCA’s campus might have caught excellent mainstage opening acts like Gang of Four (featuring Ted Leo on guitar) or the Breeders, representing two strains of Eighties and Nineties alt/punk rock.
-
Most ticks are content to sit and wait for a meal to wander past; lone stars have no patience for that.
Adjective
-
Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia's police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
-
Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia’s police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
Verb
-
The woman fell about 1,500 vertical feet, from around 12,000 feet to about 11,500 feet.
-
The report will also provide insight into whether American workers’ paychecks are falling further behind inflation.
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
