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
-
Upon arrival in the early morning, crews encountered heavy smoke and flames.—
Kayla Bartkowski,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026 -
Consumers who may never attend a fashion week can encounter Saudi brands through viral videos, celebrity endorsements, or influencer styling.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
For instance, researchers found that rapid urbanization and electrification across Asia drove brightening in cities from China to India to Sub-Saharan Africa.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
Business travelers will find this especially frustrating, as even VPNs usually can’t break through these restrictions in the capital.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet such gestures failed to meet the scale of the problem.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Trump is meeting Xi for the first time since taking office for his second term, following months of growing tension between both countries.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 May 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 14 May. 2026.
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