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
Essence Staff, Essence, 10 May 2024
Six of those stranded came when the Sea Lions left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
As a result, the advocates say, thousands of people have been left stranded in Mexico for months, dodging cartel gangsters, crooked cops and other criminals.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Gaza’s Health Ministry meanwhile said at least 46 patients and wounded people who had been scheduled to leave Tuesday for medical treatment have been left stranded.
—Joseph Krauss, TIME, 8 May 2024
Dakota Fanning stars as Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an Irish forest.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 8 May 2024
The two-month stoppage of flights into Port-au-Prince has led a number of Haitians stranded in South Florida.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Related Articles The Giants went hitless in seven tries with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men on base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
The series follows the Yellowjackets high school women’s soccer team — along with Coach Ben and their other coach’s sons Travis and Javi — as their plane crashes and strands them somewhere in the Canadian wilderness in 1996.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 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
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
Six of those stranded came when the Sea Lions left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
As a result, the advocates say, thousands of people have been left stranded in Mexico for months, dodging cartel gangsters, crooked cops and other criminals.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Gaza’s Health Ministry meanwhile said at least 46 patients and wounded people who had been scheduled to leave Tuesday for medical treatment have been left stranded.
—Joseph Krauss, TIME, 8 May 2024
Dakota Fanning stars as Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an Irish forest.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 8 May 2024
The two-month stoppage of flights into Port-au-Prince has led a number of Haitians stranded in South Florida.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Related Articles The Giants went hitless in seven tries with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men on base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
The series follows the Yellowjackets high school women’s soccer team — along with Coach Ben and their other coach’s sons Travis and Javi — as their plane crashes and strands them somewhere in the Canadian wilderness in 1996.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 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 23 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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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