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.
strayed
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past participleof stray.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof stray.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
strayverb (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.
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.
He dedicated that win to British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, who died on 14 August during the Volta a Portugal following a high-speed collision with a van that had strayed on to the closed road.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
They and Mr. Kuhn have musical-theater backgrounds and occasionally strayed too far into its croons and swoops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
On our way back down, an Australian tourist strayed from the path toward a tunnel entrance.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Inflation has strayed above the Fed target for more than five years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
As they prepared for sleep in the inn at Bree, darkness lay on Buckland; a mist strayed in the dells and along the river-bank.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
