alighted

verb

variants also alit
past tense of alight
1
as in perched
to come to rest after descending from the air a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 alighted BookTok’s preferences may skew toward familiar beats and blunt-force sensation, but in Harpman the hive mind has alighted on something more capacious and slippery. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 According to the latest available rail passenger statistics, a grand total of 76 people have alighted or boarded at Shippea Hill in the previous 12 months. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026 Most alighted in specially erected tent tunnels and, to the disappointment of the crowds of Swifties waiting in the 40°C heat, there were no sightings of the happy couple. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 July 2026 Its blockbuster Art Deco-at-100 show wrapped its run last month and attracted more than 500,000 visitors, while its Iris Van Herpen retrospective recently alighted at the Brooklyn Museum, further elaborating on centuries of Franco-American friendship and cultural exchange. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 May 2026 Four alighted on a paper towel dispenser. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 In Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait from 1940, two gossamer lepidoptera have alighted on her head. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2025 The Super Beetle, called the 1301, alighted in 1971 with a 60 hp, 1,585 cc engine. — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025 In the wake of such revelations, Jones needed to free his Temple from the threat of government interference and alighted upon Guyana as a new home. — Sarah Rex, JSTOR Daily, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alighted
  1. perched
  2. dismounted
  3. landed
  4. descended
  5. disembarked
Verb
  • All this gear is scattered on tabletops perched on the mountainside.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Outside, there’s an elderly woman perched on her snowmobile, smoking a cigarette, who loudly hassles Siaja for a little charity.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of perched
Verb
  • Buck has long since dismounted from his high horse, but people who live in glass houses that are also occupied by Mike Darnell should probably be a bit more judicious when hucking rocks.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the owner of the carriage involved in the fatal crash suspended the driver indefinitely and plans to retire the horse, according to union officials, who said the driver improperly dismounted to take a photograph of his passengers.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Definition of dismounted
Verb
  • Punter Brunno Reus was only needed twice, but both his punts were under 35 yards and landed out of bounds in Arkansas territory.
    — PJ Green November 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Press Taylor wasn’t positive what was up and then found out the Bears indeed had landed Simmons.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of landed
Verb
  • One day before voters will ultimately choose between them, gubernatorial candidates Byron Donalds and David Jolly descended upon an unlikely battleground — ruby red Polk County, where Democrats are turning out at a higher rate than Republicans.
    — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
  • This July, some ten thousand people descended on London for the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of descended
Verb
  • The 6-year-old disembarked with several other young students and attempted to cross the busy intersection of Barrington and Lanecrest drives.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Germany failed in its objective to capture Calais and Boulogne, the ports where British reinforcements disembarked, and the front settled down on a long ​north–​south line from near Ostend in Belgium to the Swiss border.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of disembarked

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alighted
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Cite this Entry

“Alighted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alighted. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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