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
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Recent Examples of encounter
April White, JSTOR Daily, 21 July 2025
In his own work studying juvenile brook trout and Atlantic salmon, Dalhousie University’s Lennox has encountered other barriers to working with miniature tracking tags.
—Moira Donovan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Among them, his younger years, and first encounter with the spotlight.
—Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
In her travels, Sheldon would see things most Americans had encountered only in books or on canvas.
—April White, JSTOR Daily, 21 July 2025
In his own work studying juvenile brook trout and Atlantic salmon, Dalhousie University’s Lennox has encountered other barriers to working with miniature tracking tags.
—Moira Donovan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
Noun
However, these two should only be used as a last resort and not as an alternative to common-sense approaches to bear encounters.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Among them, his younger years, and first encounter with the spotlight.
—Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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The Quilters meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
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The superintendent and principal also meet monthly with a student advisory committee, and the student body at each school is routinely surveyed for feedback and input, according to the district.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
26 July 2025
Verb
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As Cincinnati city leaders consider new ways to enforce the curfew for youth who stay out too late, an Enquirer review of data found police across Hamilton County have been steadily filing fewer curfew violations over the past 25 years.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
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Search crews found Phillips’ Jeep crushed into the mud, but have not recovered the fire chief’s body after more than two weeks of searching.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Over the course of six weeks, the show has faced several challenges that altered the fate of this season.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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Intel has faced manufacturing delays, quality-control issues, marketing errors, expensive acquisitions that didn’t work out, executive management turnover and more in a highly competitive industry.—
Sasha Hupka,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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The skirmish left the mother of Jones' child with a black eye.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
18 July 2025
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The skirmish has thrust into the public eye a falling-out between two political heavyweights once seen as close allies.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
Verb
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As Hailey follows the trail across borders and through layers of deception, he’s forced to confront both his personal demons and the bureaucratic system he’s sworn to uphold.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
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As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches in late August, viewers can expect a slew of reflective documentaries confronting that fathomable/unfathomable dichotomy — projects made without expectations of equaling When the Levees Broke, but with a different imperative in mind.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Even a brush from one of these storms can cause problems.—
Nazaneen Ghaffar,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
-
Use a brush if needed to dislodge anything stuck in those areas.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Verb
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Scannell also said that his dogs as well as one of his neighbors suffered respiratory problems after one of the project's contractors — who was later fired — was caught dumping debris out of the building's windows.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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In an increasingly competitive and combustible world, and with an economically fragile and politically polarized domestic environment, the United States cannot afford being caught by surprise.—
MATAN CHOREV,
Foreign Affairs,
22 July 2025
Noun
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Ali has not yet responded to Shields’ fight request now that money has been offered.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
21 July 2025
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Anyone who witnessed the fight is asked to contact Oak Creek Officer Andrew Glaz at 414-762-8200.—
Jack Albright,
jsonline.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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