alight on/upon

phrasal verb

alighted on/upon also alit on/upon; alighting on/upon; alights on/upon

: to see, notice, or think of (something)

Her eye/eyes alighted on a strange man in the crowd.

a speaker who easily alights upon topics that interest a wide audience

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Natalie White, 29, was wanted after the Wendy's was set alight on June 13, the day after Brooks died, according to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. —NBC News, 22 June 2020

As industry mavens alight on the Zurich Film Festival, escalating inflation costs and rising interest rates are hijacking dreams of a post-pandemic recovery and rebirth. —Angus Finney, Variety, 19 Sep. 2022

Millions of butterflies alight on oyamel firs, pines and junipers. —Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2021

Birds can flap their wings to swoop, dive, glide, and alight on perches. —Adam Hadhazy, Discover Magazine, 8 Feb. 2013

By the time the English alight on the Virginian strand, the action has shifted, the story is now a European story, with Native Americans as relatively powerless supporting actors and victims. —Sean T. Byrnes, The New Republic, 7 Feb. 2023

The most striking visual element is the floor-to-ceiling wood-burning fireplace, which offers a cozy spot to watch the snowflakes alight on the composite deck through a slider and windows that reach the ceiling. —John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Dec. 2022

In another, pleated-paper fans resembling butterflies alight on a floral sofa. —Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2022

This species’ pitcher has a rigid, horizontal lid with an exposed underside that secretes nectar, luring insects to alight on it. —Darren Incorvaia, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2022

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