1
as in to meet
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
we encountered a host of unforeseen problems during the restoration of our 200-year-old house
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 encounter
Sergio Candido, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
School is the crucible where raw vitality encounters the collective will to impose order and control but also to bring cultural richness to lives that might otherwise remain inhibited and crude.
—Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Authorities allege the encounter escalated when the agent approached the suspects’ car with $600 in government funds to buy one of the guns.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Investigators say Alexander drove a gray 2019 Chevrolet Trax SUV and are urging anyone who may have encountered him to come forward.
—Sergio Candido, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
School is the crucible where raw vitality encounters the collective will to impose order and control but also to bring cultural richness to lives that might otherwise remain inhibited and crude.
—Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
Rennes won a spectacular encounter at Brest 4-3.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Authorities allege the encounter escalated when the agent approached the suspects’ car with $600 in government funds to buy one of the guns.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
-
Animal Control would have to save about 600 more pets annually to meet that goal.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Tuesday's game is the third time these teams meet this season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, the analyst, whom the firm did not name due to the sensitivity of the activity, found that vessels are still moving through the strait, with traffic picking up in recent days to roughly 15 ships per day, according to the firm’s report posted on Substack.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Two dead sharks were found stranded on North Carolina beaches during Spring Break, and researchers aren’t sure what killed them.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Zeeshan later appeared in bond court facing a charge of assault with religious prejudice.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Phillies clobbered Colorado 10-1 on a windy Friday afternoon in LoDo that featured the return of wintry weather and a reminder of the challenge facing an organization that lost 119 games last season.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These rules had been tightened since 2020, when relations soured following a deadly border skirmish in the Galwan Valley, where several Indian and Chinese soldiers died.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The skirmishes are a preview for more campaigns later this year, when at least a half-dozen states will hold elections for utility regulators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One took her own life when confronted with her deeds and the other one is gone for decades.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Meis doesn’t confront works of art directly; at least that isn’t his forte.—
Jed Perl,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lori listens in dumbfounded silence, keeping her eyes on the prize, and trying not to roll them when Julian makes a comment about the dearth of great women artists—the kind of remark that earned him a close brush with cancellation in the past.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
That’s already happening on Comet MAPS, even days away from its brush with the sun.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Calls come in about elders caught in financial scams or elders who are sick.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The confrontation, which led to multiple 911 calls reporting a fight involving a firearm, resulted in the arrest of Ahmad Zeeshan.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The United States Powered Paragliding Association and Experimental Aircraft Association have written letters supporting the ultralight pilots in their fight against the county airport, as cited in the documents under review for the FAA’s upcoming decision.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
