stranded; stranding; strands
1
: to run, drive, or cause to drift onto a strand : run aground
2
: to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place especially without funds or means to depart
3
: to leave (a base runner) on base at the end of an inning in baseball
: to become stranded
1
a
: fibers or filaments twisted, plaited, or laid parallel to form a unit for further twisting or plaiting into yarn, thread, rope, or cordage
b
: one of the wires twisted together or laid parallel to form a wire rope or cable
c
: something (such as a molecular chain) resembling a strand
a strand of DNA
2
a
: an element (such as a yarn or thread) of a woven or plaited material
b
: a threadlike piece of natural or synthetic material
a strand of hair
3
: an elongated or twisted and plaited body resembling a rope
a strand of pearls
4
: one of the elements interwoven in a complex whole
one strand of the novel's plot
stranded; stranding; strands
1
: to break a strand of (a rope) accidentally
2
a
: to form (something, such as a rope) from strands
b
: to play out, twist, or arrange in a strand
Synonyms
Examples of strand in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the wishful dream of living an indolent, idyllic existence on some far-off strand
Verb (1)
the ghostly remains of ships that had been stranded by the reef
he just drove off, stranding her in some dinky town with just a few bucks and the clothes she was wearing
Recent Examples on the Web
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2024
Ballerini wore her hair pulled back in a lower bun with a single, loose strand styled in front.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024
Walking through the exhibition, visitors will encounter a can of mushrooms filled with brunette strands, fuzzy red shoes made from wigs and several pieces the Guardian describes as reminiscent of Cousin Itt.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
There are some that grow one really unusual petal: this long strand, with a little bulb at the end of it.
—Elizabeth A. Harris, New York Times, 13 May 2024
About 74% of us will see our first silver strands pop up between the ages of 45 and 65, though many see their first grays pop up as young as their 20s or even in their teens.
—Amy Eisinger, Allure, 8 May 2024
Breakfast at Tiffany's is the obvious choice: As Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn's little black dress, strands of pearls, and oversize sunnies are nothing short of iconic.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 7 May 2024
Old recipes often called for boiling the chicken for upward of an hour, which might have been a good advice for tough old yard birds, but can turn the meat into ropey strands.
—Sheri Castle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2024
Others stuck to their tried and true styles, with Ariana Grande wearing her signature long pony and Naomi Campbell going sleek and straight with her iconic long strands.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 7 May 2024
Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 22 May 2024
Before that, a 200-foot section failed during the winter of 1913, stranding a fisherman on the end who had to be rescued.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
Yet the busing program is exposing the chasm between the Mexican government’s rhetoric promoting a humanitarian approach to migration, and the country’s role as a heavy-handed enforcer of U.S. border objectives, leaving many migrant families stranded to fend for themselves.
—Paulina Villegas Luis Antonio Rojas, New York Times, 14 May 2024
Seniors stranded in the ER waiting for care suffer avoidable harm.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Recommended The plight of lost animals in southern Brazil became national news this week after a television news helicopter spotted a horse nicknamed Caramelo stranded on a rooftop in Canoas, not far from the shelter.
—Mauricio Savarese, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 2024
One of the people rescued was the crane’s operator, who was stranded 160 feet in the air for more than an hour.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2024
Advertisement When a portion of Highway 1 in Big Sur crumbled on Easter weekend, the road closure also stranded tourists and locals.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
However, the joyous occasion was that some attendees were left stranded just outside the lobby, unable to join the festivities.
—Essence Staff, Essence, 10 May 2024
Noun
This year marks a milestone for India at the Cannes Film Festival, with nine films from the country across its various strands.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2024
Ballerini wore her hair pulled back in a lower bun with a single, loose strand styled in front.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024
Walking through the exhibition, visitors will encounter a can of mushrooms filled with brunette strands, fuzzy red shoes made from wigs and several pieces the Guardian describes as reminiscent of Cousin Itt.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
There are some that grow one really unusual petal: this long strand, with a little bulb at the end of it.
—Elizabeth A. Harris, New York Times, 13 May 2024
About 74% of us will see our first silver strands pop up between the ages of 45 and 65, though many see their first grays pop up as young as their 20s or even in their teens.
—Amy Eisinger, Allure, 8 May 2024
Breakfast at Tiffany's is the obvious choice: As Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn's little black dress, strands of pearls, and oversize sunnies are nothing short of iconic.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 7 May 2024
Old recipes often called for boiling the chicken for upward of an hour, which might have been a good advice for tough old yard birds, but can turn the meat into ropey strands.
—Sheri Castle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2024
Others stuck to their tried and true styles, with Ariana Grande wearing her signature long pony and Naomi Campbell going sleek and straight with her iconic long strands.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 7 May 2024
Verb
The fiasco began on May 16 when witnesses called the Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s stranding hotline to report the bottlenose dolphin, according to a May 21 Facebook post.
—Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 22 May 2024
Before that, a 200-foot section failed during the winter of 1913, stranding a fisherman on the end who had to be rescued.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
Yet the busing program is exposing the chasm between the Mexican government’s rhetoric promoting a humanitarian approach to migration, and the country’s role as a heavy-handed enforcer of U.S. border objectives, leaving many migrant families stranded to fend for themselves.
—Paulina Villegas Luis Antonio Rojas, New York Times, 14 May 2024
Seniors stranded in the ER waiting for care suffer avoidable harm.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Recommended The plight of lost animals in southern Brazil became national news this week after a television news helicopter spotted a horse nicknamed Caramelo stranded on a rooftop in Canoas, not far from the shelter.
—Mauricio Savarese, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 2024
One of the people rescued was the crane’s operator, who was stranded 160 feet in the air for more than an hour.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2024
Advertisement When a portion of Highway 1 in Big Sur crumbled on Easter weekend, the road closure also stranded tourists and locals.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
However, the joyous occasion was that some attendees were left stranded just outside the lobby, unable to join the festivities.
—Essence Staff, Essence, 10 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strand.' 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 strand
Cite this Entry
“Strand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strand. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
strand
2 of 3 verb1
: to run aground : beach
boats stranded by the storm
2
: to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place especially without a way of departing
stranded in a strange city
strand
3 of 3 noun1
: one of the fibers, threads, strings, or wires twisted or braided to make a cord, rope, or cable
2
: something resembling a strand
a strand of pearls
a strand of DNA
3
: one of the elements of a complicated whole
the strands of a legal argument
Etymology
Noun
Old English strand "shore"
Noun
Middle English strond "strand, fiber"
Medical Definition
strand
noun
: something (as a molecular chain) resembling a thread
a strand of DNA
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share