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
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2024
Once the dog was stable at the university’s veterinary hospital, he was transferred to the Northern Colorado Humane Society where he was put on a five-day stray hold to give any potential owners time to claim the dog — who the rescue had started calling Chance, the rescue group said.
—Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 20 May 2024
Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024
That allowed the Timberwolves to stray from the plainness that is usually associated with giveaways.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 30 May 2024
Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2024
Advertisement According to local officials, the average number of stray dogs and cats being brought into shelters have been on the rise in recent years.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray 
Noun
Puzzles mostly amount to finding the exact position in space where two seemingly unrelated things (like stray tree branches and rubble) align to create a unified image to unlock a door to progression.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2024
Once the dog was stable at the university’s veterinary hospital, he was transferred to the Northern Colorado Humane Society where he was put on a five-day stray hold to give any potential owners time to claim the dog — who the rescue had started calling Chance, the rescue group said.
—Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 20 May 2024
Verb
Many are hesitant to stray from what has been a profitable playbook — namely, selling gas-burning trucks and SUVs.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024
That allowed the Timberwolves to stray from the plainness that is usually associated with giveaways.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 30 May 2024
Adjective
The stray electrons zip around Jupiter near the speed of light and release radio waves.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2024
Advertisement According to local officials, the average number of stray dogs and cats being brought into shelters have been on the rise in recent years.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 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 5 Jun. 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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