1
as in to encounter
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
chanced upon my archenemy as I rounded a corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
I chanced upon your mother in the grocery store yesterday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chance (upon)
Verb
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The film follows a young woman who, visited by visions of her future self, encounters a stranger whose appearance reshapes the course of her evening – and possibly her life.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026 -
Rather than viewed from behind ropes or glass, guests encounter the art here organically.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Captain Sandy finds her newish team in Dubrovnik, Croatia, aboard the Akira One, a bigger and older boat than last season’s Bravado.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
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Through this deceptively simple framework, Hiraide delivers a poetic and poignant meditation on the passage of time, the meaning of work and love, and the surprise of finding joy in life’s ephemeral details.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Even in this setting where the president could reliably expect a warm reception, his entrance was met with a mix of cheers and boos.—
Isaac Arnsdorf,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
-
Gharibabadi said the 60-day negotiations between Tehran and Washington after Friday’s signing of the agreement will hinge on the US meeting several obligations, including the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Chance (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chance%20%28upon%29. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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