stray
verb (used without object)
to deviate from the direct course, leave the proper place, or go beyond the proper limits, especially without a fixed course or purpose.
have strayed
-
present perfectof stray.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wireless carriers and cable operators have strayed into each others’ territory in recent years, waging what analysts call “the battle for convergence.”
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
Some local and state law-enforcement leaders who have seen the agency’s tactics up close are voicing concerns that agents have strayed from the administration’s stated focus on public-safety threats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
The AAUP’s own history illustrates how far interpretations of institutional neutrality have strayed from the phrase’s origins.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
The area is not far from the Lake Nakuru National Park, where the hyena is suspected to have strayed from at night.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024
She shouldn’t have entered the tomb, she shouldn’t have strayed into the sacred places of the dead when she was so stained and tainted by her crimes.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
