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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of stray
David Culver, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
After locking eyes with the stray dog, Walker turned his rental car around to meet the canine up close.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Chris Tucker, a native son of Atlanta, never strays too far away from his comedic roots.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray 
Adjective
Last July, an apparent stray bullet hit a helicopter while parked at the Toussaint Louverture airport in Port-au-Prince.
—David Culver, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
After locking eyes with the stray dog, Walker turned his rental car around to meet the canine up close.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
Intelligence alone, without a guiding moral framework, can easily stray off course, risking harm or unintended consequences.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Chris Tucker, a native son of Atlanta, never strays too far away from his comedic roots.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stray
Adjective
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When shown random pixels, the judge guessed correctly only about 59% of the time.Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
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So far, the only sign of anything amiss is the random Magic Marker doodle on the back of one of the many papers in Kornacki’s hands.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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On their way to check out their family property, a group of teenagers trespassed on the land of a nearby house, home of the monstrous, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
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People threw at least three green flares onto the field, stopping play, and a pair of fans trespassed the diamond in the ninth inning before security guards tackled them.Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Children on the autism spectrum tend to wander, or elope, from home and other safe places at a higher rate than their peers, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Some bucks might wander 5 to 8 miles or more, while others move 2 miles or less.Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This push to start campaigns earlier is not arbitrary.Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Expiration dates are somewhat arbitrary The US Food and Drug Administration only began requiring drug manufacturers to put an expiration date on medications in 1979.Keren Landman, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Valor recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock after that as Regis fell a win short of the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
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That’s in part because Democrats fell short in their bid to flip enough battleground districts in Southern California and the Central Valley to help the national party win a majority.Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near stray
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stray. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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