perching

verb

present participle of perch
1
as in landing
to come to rest after descending from the air pigeons perching on the roof

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nestling
to establish or place comfortably or snugly perched the baby in a basket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 perching 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 Birdwatchers said Kaydee and Shadow have been flying around together for the past couple of days, flying to different trees and sometimes perching themselves on different branches for hours. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 The space is pristine and remote, surrounded by woods and loons and big muscular-looking boulders for perching on and thinking deep thoughts. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026 Blue dashers perch on short reeds and grasses to wait for prey, but each species of perching dragonfly has its own preference for perch height and type. — Rachel Sargent Mirus, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026 Sandy was spotted later in the day perching on top of a sugar pine tree. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 Under New York law, climbing a traffic-light pole or perching on its crossbars is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 14 June 2026 Inspired by the observation that hummingbirds spend the majority of their time perching in trees post-feeding, Pop's created a swing to serve as a resting perch that also gave enthusiasts the chance to observe these magical birds. — ABC News, 8 June 2026 For the meantime, drones cannot match birds in agility, endurance, co-ordination or perching. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perching
  1. landing
  2. nestling
  3. roosting
  4. lodging
  5. alighting
  6. positioning
  7. parking
  8. settling
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
  • Add a striking focal point by nestling a statue fountain between groups of colorful flowers or lively foliage.
    — Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Game by game, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is nestling himself into historical statistical company alongside some of the most vaunted NBA names ever.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 19 May 2026
Definition of nestling
Verb
  • To search for evidence of fire use, the researchers analyzed rodent bones littering the cave, deposited over thousands of years by roosting owls.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • Eucalyptus, Monterey pine, and Monterey cypress trees are common homes for roosting monarchs, as those tree species provide adequate shelter from weather and predators.
    — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
Definition of roosting
Verb
  • That’s true even while lodging in a dorm room at Missouri Western State University, home of the Chiefs’ annual summer training camp.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The criminal complaint alleges that Castro fired a gun at the front door of a home in Minneapolis, striking a victim in the leg before lodging in a child’s bedroom wall, and then knowingly provided false information to an officer about it.
    — Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of lodging
Verb
  • 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
Definition of alighting
Verb
  • Syria’s leaders are now positioning the country to benefit from a resurgence of regional turmoil.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Consistent social media and touring, including opening for Zach Bryan, amplified their reach, positioning the album as a forward-looking evolution.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of positioning
Verb
  • Try to keep parking clear in front of your home so that workers are less likely to park elsewhere.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of parking
Verb
  • One of the more surreal responses to that experience is applause, which ripples through the audience of Paranormal Activity a beat after all the major scares, like rain settling in after a peal of thunder.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Guests can bring their own blankets, food and drinks (including alcoholic ones) before settling in for a movie under the stars.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of settling

Browse Nearby Words

perches
perching
percipience
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Cite this Entry

“Perching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perching. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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