alighting

verb

present participle of alight
1
as in perching
to come to rest after descending from the air a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in descending
to come down from something (as a vehicle) as she alighted from the train, she momentarily lost her footing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of alighting The book always came to mind when taking a walk out in the forest and seeing the hypnotic curl of a fern or a bird alighting on a branch inches away from me. — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Over a career spanning six decades, Herzog has become one of the most influential figures in international cinema, working on around 80 films often alighting on the subjects of obsession, extreme situations and the contradictions of human nature. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026 About halfway up, the orange-and-black butterflies had begun appearing in groups, alighting on flowers or gathering to sip water from puddles. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 From the poetic paintings, sculptures, photographs, and videos in Rashid Johnson’s Guggenheim survey to Larry Bell’s colorful new glass cubes alighting in Madison Square Park, recent presentations gave us hope for the future. — Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 16 June 2026 Immediately after alighting from its fanciful detour, Woods makes the odd decision to leave Emily’s perspective and lock into Sylvia’s. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 June 2026 After alighting in a New York City subway station last year, Matthieu Blazy will be unveiling his next Métiers d’Art collection in Rome, Chanel said Friday. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 May 2026 Just as the sun prepared to sink beyond the escarpments, its rays struck every piece of the fractured glass resting on top of the window frames, alighting all of them at once, as if they were shot with electricity. — New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 Images showed Kim in a black jacket, alighting a mobile missile launcher near the main stage as thousands of people waved small North Korean flags. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alighting
  1. perching
  2. descending
  3. landing
  4. dismounting
  5. disembarking
Verb
  • The Ice Dart belongs to a broader push in robotics called perching, an approach borrowed from nature that tries to give drones the ability to grab onto surfaces the way birds, insects, and geckos do.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On the heels of the death of his longtime mate Jackie, bald eagle Shadow has been perching, singing and lounging at his Big Bear nest with a new companion.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of perching
Verb
  • After descending in a metal cage elevator, Riff Raff removes his cape, revealing Frank-N-Furter in a corset, fishnets and pearls.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Dropping off the ridges into the canyons was like descending into a furnace.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • At one moment, the inspector observed two flies landing on an RPT handle and another landed on the counter in front of the handle near a cutting board.
    — Joseph Hernandez August 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Rookies ultimately have to master such challenges as flight dynamics, parachute malfunctions, and landing in dangerous conditions.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of landing
Verb
  • The popular halftime performer known as Red Panda finished her signature seven-minute set, looked up at a crowd of fans chanting her name and flashed a smile before dismounting.
    — Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The woman told investigators Herzing had made similar threats in July, which resulted in the victim suffering minor scrapes after dismounting at a stoplight.
    — Lauren Breunig, Twin Cities, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of dismounting
Verb
  • According to the head of Haiti’s migration agency, Jean Négot Bonheur Delva, who met Thursday’s deportation flight at the airport, one of the disembarking passengers had never been to Haiti before.
    — Etant Dupain, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • At the wharf, mento bands would sing to the endless stream of tourists disembarking from cruise ships.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of disembarking

Browse Nearby Words

alighted
alighting
alights
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Cite this Entry

“Alighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alighting. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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