1
as in encountered
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 found
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 chanced (upon)
Verb
-
DiSalvo said everyone he's encountered working at PHL has treated him and his family very well.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
9 June 2026 -
None of this would have happened — at least not the Marlins’ and Heat’s moves — if Main Street Sports had not encountered economic hardship.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Verdigreen, founded by Azie and Travis Shelhorse, specializes in revamping historic inns, with three sister properties in Savannah (the Gastonian, Eliza Thompson House, and Kehoe House) as well as the Hudson Valley and New Hampshire.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
-
According to Solomon Dersso, founding director of the pan-African policy think tank Amani Africa, the US pursuit of its own strategic interests is nothing new.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Larry King and Billie Jean King met at Cal State Los Angeles and married in 1965.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
The game Friday was the fourth year in a row the Colts and Highlanders met in the finals, and with the exception of 2025, the Colts have won each time.—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Chanced (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chanced%20%28upon%29. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
