STRAYS Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

strays

verb

present tense third-person singular of stray

as in wanders

to commit an offense our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 strays But for the most part, the further the narrative strays from the search at its center, the clunkier its reliance on synecdoche becomes. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Eyes glaze over when the subject strays too far from Memeworld. — Nick H. Penniman, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026 Princess Anne’s red lips The princess rarely strays from her beauty comfort zone. — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 20 June 2026 Like Manuel, the low-key manager rarely strays from the norm during his press briefings, stating the obvious and avoiding controversy. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 The album never strays from its examination of this couple. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 June 2026 Andersen rarely strays from the blue paint and will even stay midway through his crease on many dangerous looks. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 9 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strays

Verb

This one stars Cox himself as a mysterious and formidable old man in an undertaker’s suit and parson’s hat who wanders into an Arizona border town in 1890 to gather the names of dead Mexican laborers.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Sometimes, my mind wanders to a question that feels inconceivable.

— Ayana Lage, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of wanders

Verb

This park also falls along the Rio Grande and includes mountainous terrain with tall cliffs and a desert landscape.

— Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Balance is critical in helping older adults prevent falls — and it’s now considered a marker for longevity.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of falls

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 likeness, which is our true, spiritual identity, never sins and is never punished.

— Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025