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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
Walker has decided to name the former stray, now his beloved pet, Ginny.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
According to LexisNexis Risk Solutions, bankruptcy filings have strayed from their usual seasonal trends for the first time in a decade.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
Country singer Sundance Head, who won Season 11 of 'The Voice,' was injured by a stray bullet at his ranch in Texas on Friday, his agent said.
—Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray 
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.
Noun
The two-year-old shih tzu came in as a stray to the Carson Animal Shelter in California where foster parent Jan Vega volunteers.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
Walker has decided to name the former stray, now his beloved pet, Ginny.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
At one point in her life, stray dog Supai roamed around the Havasupai Indian Reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
According to LexisNexis Risk Solutions, bankruptcy filings have strayed from their usual seasonal trends for the first time in a decade.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
While filming in Sniper Alley during the Bosnian War, a stray gunshot left her permanently disfigured.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
Country singer Sundance Head, who won Season 11 of 'The Voice,' was injured by a stray bullet at his ranch in Texas on Friday, his agent said.
—Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stray
Dictionary Entries Near stray
Cite this Entry
“Stray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stray. Accessed 28 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share