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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of alighting
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
Over the course of extended scenes, the eye roams the frame, alighting on the pop of natural and manmade details alike.
—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
The colors are richly saturated, and when something catches Ryan’s eye—say, a bee alighting on a wildflower—the images shimmer with an almost radioactive intensity.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Say each word was a bird—alighting briefly, out of reach and then gone again.
—
Leila Chatti
september 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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
Over the course of extended scenes, the eye roams the frame, alighting on the pop of natural and manmade details alike.
—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
The colors are richly saturated, and when something catches Ryan’s eye—say, a bee alighting on a wildflower—the images shimmer with an almost radioactive intensity.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Say each word was a bird—alighting briefly, out of reach and then gone again.
—
Leila Chatti
september 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alighting
Verb
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Chickens are a common sight in the Yuba-Sutter region — wandering neighborhoods, perching in trees, and sometimes causing a little trouble.
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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.
Verb
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Brigitte Chevalier built Domaine de Cébène around that principle, choosing north-facing parcels beneath mountains rising to 1,100 meters, where descending cool air pushes her harvest as much as two weeks later than vineyards on the coast 40 kilometers away.
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The steeply descending main street of Haworth is filled with tea shops, pubs and stores clearly dedicated to pleasing Brontë pilgrims, but its basic form, including the original stationery store where the sisters once bought their paper, remains the same.
Verb
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Thomas got a good jump and ran toward the wall in right field, timing his jump perfectly before catching the ball and landing his back flat on the top of the wall.
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The Way Home wrapped its fourth and final season with several splashes, from viewers' tears landing on their shirts to Kat and Alice's last leap into the pond.
Verb
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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.
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The woman told investigators Herzing had made similar threats in July, which resulted in the victim suffering minor scrapes after dismounting at a stoplight.
Verb
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The footmen are each positioned to spring to his side of the carriage to assist their respective passengers in disembarking, thus halving the queueing.
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Petersen said flying business class direct was a great option for passengers who could potentially sleep for eight hours without the interruption of disembarking at Singapore.
Cite this Entry
“Alighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alighting. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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