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 No club have spent more time perching on the highest rung of English football than Everton. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 There was a time, the woman said, when rolling down the road meant perching on her husband’s back seat. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 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, 1 Sep. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perching
  1. landing
  2. nestling
  3. roosting
  4. lodging
  5. alighting
  6. positioning
  7. parking
  8. settling
Verb
  • His resistance toward the transfer portal would be more forgivable if Swinney was still landing top-five recruiting classes, but that isn't the reality anymore.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Upon landing back in Miami, the aircraft overran the runway and struck navigational aids and equipment, according to Homendy.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Sep. 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
  • Their range spans northern Mexico to southern Canada, but northern Arizona is a hotspot — the bats have taken to roosting on the walls of the Grand Canyon.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of roosting
Verb
  • In July 2025, a destructive wildfire tore through dense pines on the canyon’s northern edge, destroying the historic Grand Canyon Lodge — the park’s only lodging there.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • State park overnight lodging costs between $60 to $120 per night, with deluxe lodging $160 per night.
    — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of lodging
Verb
  • This shimmering, sonorous work, from one of our greatest living directors, moves through the peculiar landscapes of human interaction with certainty, eccentricity and grace, alighting on a generous if rueful conclusion.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of alighting
Verb
  • Any delay in positioning Leclerc had a knock-on effect for Hamilton, and he was nearly eliminated in Q2 as a result.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Or is he preoccupied with positioning himself to run for president in 2028?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 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
  • Matsson’s settling in here is more than just a matter of place.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The question of whether Markle really expected Beyoncé to go out of her way to meet her, even as Markle is presumably still settling into her new life back in the UK, remains up in the air.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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