1
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
2
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encounter
Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 15 Apr. 2025
The discovery of the drugs within shipments of bell peppers and cucumbers was made on April 11, when CBP officers assigned to the international bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor trailer entering the U.S. from Mexico.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
People with untreated mental-health issues are sixteen times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than others approached by law enforcement, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that works on behalf of people with severe mental illness.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Without giving away too many spoilers, the storyline involves multiple characters, scenes, and encounters on an island as well as in New York City.
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 15 Apr. 2025
The discovery of the drugs within shipments of bell peppers and cucumbers was made on April 11, when CBP officers assigned to the international bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor trailer entering the U.S. from Mexico.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
Family Festival Days at animal center Spring Tails Family Festival Days feature hands-on animal encounters, crafts and games from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 27 at Helen Woodward Animal Center, 6461 El Apajo Road.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
People with untreated mental-health issues are sixteen times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than others approached by law enforcement, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that works on behalf of people with severe mental illness.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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The Hall of Fame voting panel will meet May 20 in Charlotte and determine the Class of 2026.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2025
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In February 2024, Francis met with the trustees of the University of Notre Dame, a Catholic institution in Indiana.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sporting found some moments of control in the second half and finally got a foothold in the game again.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2025
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With Mark Scheifele and Connor cycling on the outside, trying desperately to find a chance in the middle, Iafallo drove to the net and jumped on a Scheifele rebound, scoring the game-tying goal while off balance in the slot.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 28%, the highest since 1901, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Need a break?—
Bailey Schulz,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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The restaurant may face legal action or citation if the violations are not corrected in the next inspection.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Holy Roman Empire army did eventually move on from the camp, engaging in several skirmishes with the Swedish army stationed nearby.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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Today’s group readies to replay the opening battle skirmish, practicing to get their roles down for the upcoming anniversary celebration.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What the narrator has to get away from is the assortment of low-grade humiliations and condescending attitudes she is confronted with every day while clocked in at the restaurant.—
Rhian Sasseen,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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The brothers, having both military and criminal experience (not to mention their Chicago armamentarium), confront white racists with startling boldness, openly threatening Hogwood.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Due to those incidents, and a number of other brushes with the law, until last year Jelly was unable to secure a passport in order to book shows outside of the U.S. due to legal restrictions on travel by former felons.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
23 Apr. 2025
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With 8000Pa suction and an extra-long rubber brush, the X2 Omni has plenty of cleaning power.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the mayor of Heath, Ohio — where work was paused — caught the city officials by surprise.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
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Doses are given at: 2 months 4 months 6 months 15–18 months 4–6 years Can adults get whooping cough? Adults can catch whooping cough, though symptoms tend to be milder than in children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Medicaid fight will be front and center A major point of contention is cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for people with disabilities and low-income adults.—
Claudia Grisales,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2025
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For those who don’t regularly use the MTA, this perception is amplified by media coverage of fights, stabbings, and other acts of violence circulating on social media.—
David Garten,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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