alights

verb

present tense third-person singular of alight
1
as in perches
to come to rest after descending from the air a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond

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

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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 alights Birds chirp in the tree branches above, and a large yellow butterfly alights on a leaf before flapping away into the sloping sunshine. — Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026 As pleasure-seeking Venus alights within your 5th House of Self-Expression, fun projects sparkle, and your spirited humor invites others to join a playful challenge. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026 But before the action alights in the location of the latest dispute between adjacent property owners to catch the eye of directors Harrison Fishman and Dylan Redford (yes, grandson of Robert), the shot fills with the telltale red, white and blue of the American flag. — Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026 Cash, an editor at Forever Magazine, has written a first novel that alights on plenty of hot topics without seeming limited by them. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alights
  1. perches
  2. descends
  3. lands
  4. dismounts
  5. disembarks
Verb
  • At the top of the hill, in a completely different style, perches the Neoclassical royal palace.
    — Benjamin Moser, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Live streams from entertainment events like the Grammys or Golden Globes aren’t typically perches for controversy, but, says Anthony McCartney, AP’s entertainment and lifestyles editor, celebrities will sometimes be asked to weigh in on recent headlines.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of perches
Verb
  • The visuals are too murky even to provide a nasty thrill when a pod of orcas descends on Jay’s gargantuan host.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The sprawling network, which could date as far back as the 8th century BCE, descends roughly 280 feet, housing everything from stables and kitchens to rock-cut churches and escape tunnels.
    — Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of descends
Verb
  • This is the area where, if an ember lands and ignites something — a pile of firewood, a trash can or a deck — fire can break into the house and burn it down.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Day two of the STAT Summit is just kicking off as this newsletter lands in inboxes.
    — Mario Aguilar, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of lands
Verb
  • Suffering from a broken rib and sinus infection, Remco Evenepoel hands his bidon to a child on the roadside and dismounts his bike.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of dismounts
Verb
  • Hoping to make his way back to his brother, Håkan disembarks in California and immediately heads East, against the flow of all the homesteaders and forty-niners streaming West.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Former President Bill Clinton disembarks a jet at Islamabad International Airport in March 2000.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of disembarks

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alighting
alights
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Cite this Entry

“Alights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alights. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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