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
-
According to federal sources, Singh was first encountered by Border Patrol agents in California’s El Centro Sector in March 2022 and released into the interior pending an immigration hearing.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025 -
The storm’s intensity has made these flights especially dangerous, as crews have encountered severe turbulence within the hurricane’s eyewall.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The oldest, Banco Santander, was founded in 1857.—
Adam Gale,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The online education company, founded 20 years ago, has been hit by the rise of generative AI software tools, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, which have become increasingly popular among students.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Trump met Milei at the White House two weeks ago, and the Argentine has emerged as one of the US leader’s most ardent supporters abroad.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur for a fifth round of in-person discussions since May.—
Xinghui Kok,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
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 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share