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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2
as in nestling
to establish or place comfortably or snugly
perched the baby in a basket
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Recent Examples of perching
Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots.
—
Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The department recommends staggering bloom times to make sure hummingbirds have a food source for the entire season, as well as providing a source of water and trees or tall shrubs for nesting and perching.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 Feb. 2026
In 2025, there was the Owl Arm Trend, in which Gen Z TikTokers contorted their bodies (and stretched their T-shirts) to mimic the shape of a perching owl, clinging to their friend’s arm.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Other photos show it while perching on the plant.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
TikTok users were able to see two cats perching over a bathroom sink, which had been filled with tap water.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
In the case of turkeys, perching in the trees could signal snowfall, folklore says.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2025
The gains in efficiency are offset by the loss in precision and by the costs of takeoff and landing, just as in the case of a perching robot.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Mar. 2016
Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The department recommends staggering bloom times to make sure hummingbirds have a food source for the entire season, as well as providing a source of water and trees or tall shrubs for nesting and perching.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 Feb. 2026
In 2025, there was the Owl Arm Trend, in which Gen Z TikTokers contorted their bodies (and stretched their T-shirts) to mimic the shape of a perching owl, clinging to their friend’s arm.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Other photos show it while perching on the plant.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
TikTok users were able to see two cats perching over a bathroom sink, which had been filled with tap water.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
In the case of turkeys, perching in the trees could signal snowfall, folklore says.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2025
The gains in efficiency are offset by the loss in precision and by the costs of takeoff and landing, just as in the case of a perching robot.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Mar. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perching
Verb
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In the first episode’s Elimination Challenge‚ which was focused on North Carolina’s state vegetable, sweet potatoes — Cochran cooked up a pork loin in the kitchen at La Belle Helene that wasn’t quite cooked through, landing her in the bottom three competitors.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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The first-stage booster made a recovery landing on land at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cottagecore cozy wouldn’t be complete without a quilt, and this one from Brooklinen is on par to nestling into a cotton candy cloud.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
4 Mar. 2026
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There had been a prior collision with Marc Guehi, but the hosts’ No 9 had to ask the question of VAR by nestling the ball either side of a helpless Gianluigi Donnarumma.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The county said construction for the park would not take place within 200 feet of roosting sites for the bat, but provided no evidence to support that as a proper buffer, adding another inadequacy to the environmental review, Bacal said.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There’s excellent boutique shopping, a diverse range of cuisines to sample, and lodging options suitable for any size or type of travel group.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
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There is also plenty of lodging in the neighboring tourist town of Hot Springs.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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That's positioning the game to break the NWSL's single match attendance record and the league's inaugural home game attendance record.—
Kelly Werthmann,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Ultimately, with its emphasis on adaptability and ongoing on-site learning, Mbodi AI is positioning itself as a contributor to the industrial automation space, exploring ways to introduce software-like agility into physical operations.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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But ultimately investors remained on edge, with oil prices settling Friday at their highest level in more than three years.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
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The February Market Trends Housing Report from the Colorado Association of Realtors shows the mountain homes market settling after years of rapid growth, with buyers gaining more choices and sellers learning that patience and smart pricing matter.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perching. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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