1
a
: a domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lost
b
: a person or thing that strays
2
[Middle English, from straien to stray] archaic
: the act of going astray
strayed; straying; strays
: wander: such as
a
: to wander from company, restraint, or proper limits
b
: to roam about without fixed direction or purpose
c
: to move in a winding course : meander
d
: to move without conscious or intentional effort
eyes straying absently around the room
e
: to become distracted from an argument or train of thought
strayed from the point
f
: to wander accidentally from a fixed or chosen route
strayer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of stray in a Sentence
Noun
Both of her cats were strays that she found wandering in the neighborhood.
Verb
The airplane strayed off course.
our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow
Adjective
stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists
Recent Examples on the Web
Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024
Too many animals, not enough homes, high euthanasia, homeless strays on the street — many starving and abused.
—Elizabeth Forel, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2024
Maddie Garfinkle, Peoplemag, 8 July 2024
Express forecast Today: Partly to mostly sunny, stray t’shower?
—Molly Robey, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 8 July 2024
Text was sharp and distinct, and documents looked clean and professional, with no stray marks or extraneous lines.
—David English, PCMAG, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray 
Noun
The agreement allows the sterilization of stray and surrendered animals.
—Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024
Too many animals, not enough homes, high euthanasia, homeless strays on the street — many starving and abused.
—Elizabeth Forel, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
While the show featured many of the same characters, its format strayed from the sci-fi space narrative of Spaceballs and instead was a series of parodies, each episode serving as a satirical commentary of several contemporary hits, such as Lord of the Rings, American Idol and Harry Potter.
—Maddie Garfinkle, Peoplemag, 8 July 2024
Express forecast Today: Partly to mostly sunny, stray t’shower?
—Molly Robey, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
Adjective
Stray voltage caused current Deputies said that a stray voltage at a dock caused the electrocution, WABJ reported, adding that the fireboat crew tested the water and confirmed the presence of electric currents in it.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 8 July 2024
Text was sharp and distinct, and documents looked clean and professional, with no stray marks or extraneous lines.
—David English, PCMAG, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stray
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stray. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stray
1 of 3 noun1
: a domestic animal that is wandering loose or is lost
2
: a person or thing that strays
stray
2 of 3 verb1
: to wander from a group or from the proper place : roam
the dog strayed from the yard
2
: to wander from a fixed or chosen route or at random
accidentally strayed off the path
3
: to become distracted from an argument or chain of thought
strayed from the point
strayer
noun
stray
3 of 3 adjective1
: having strayed or been lost
a stray dog
2
: occurring in one place and another or at random
a few stray hairs
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