ENCOUNTER Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

encounter 1 of 2

verb

in-ˈkau̇n-tər

Definition of encounter

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

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

as in to face

to enter into contest or conflict with the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

encounter

2 of 2

noun

as in skirmish

a brief clash between enemies or rivals survived an encounter with the school bully at the local park

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of encounter

Verb

What Ryan encountered at the school was a community still trying to process what had happened. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 Its reflective surface changes with the light, the weather, and the movement of the people who encounter it. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Noun

That first encounter eventually led to your book Querida Jane, Querida Charlotte. — Eva Blanco Medina, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026 Fifty-nine years ago, friends Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin visited the Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California and claimed to have an encounter with a Sasquatch. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for encounter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter

Verb

In order to meet 2026’s nostalgia quota, here’s a 28-years-later followup to the cult flop about margarita-loving sister witches starring Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
The league’s involvement with Highmark or any club is ensuring that all fields meet compliance before NFL use, right?

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of meet

Verb

The National Transportation Safety Board found that the left engine detached from the plane and caught fire, the USA TODAY Network previously reported.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Bridgespan’s report finds that families in middle-income countries are more likely to administer their own programs than those in higher-income countries.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of find

Verb

Manchester United return to the Champions League after three years away, facing Azerbaijan outfit Sabah on… *checks notes* Thursday.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Positioning the eggs upright with their narrow tips facing the top plate yielded the best results.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of face

Verb

All across Arkansas, workers in health care, logistics, manufacturing, and education are organizing to confront rising living costs and demand fair compensation.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
She’s faced with the threat of being kicked out of her orphanage and must suddenly embrace her identity and confront the reality of making it through life on her own.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of confront

Noun

Now, Winchell, who couldn’t move his left hand after the stroke for even the most basic self care — let alone hold a paint brush — is getting his groove back.

— Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Coat or brush rack with nonstick vegetable oil spray or vegetable oil.

— Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of brush

Verb

Gauff knocked the ball into a rectangular expanse of blue, as Jović stood in the doubles alley and doubled over to her knees, trying to catch her breath.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Well, the internet cooked up the idea that the chant originated from late-1800s and early-1900s imagery and stories that depicted Black children being used as bait to catch alligators.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026