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
Liam Twomey, New York Times, 9 May 2025
The other should be left for the viewer to encounter.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 May 2025
Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Those observations have suggested that in dense, young star clusters, complex gravitational interactions — particularly close encounters between three or more stars — can propel some stars with enough velocity to force them out of their natal homes and into nearby space.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
The fact Maresca felt secure enough to make either selection — in the Conference League knockout stage, no less — underlines the total lack of jeopardy Chelsea have encountered on their road to the final in Wroclaw, save for one nervy second half in their qualifier against Servette back in August.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 9 May 2025
The other should be left for the viewer to encounter.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 May 2025
Noun
Someone looking to gain access to Trump might have once had to pay thousands of dollars a night for a room at Mar-a-Lago for a chance encounter with the president on the golf course.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Those observations have suggested that in dense, young star clusters, complex gravitational interactions — particularly close encounters between three or more stars — can propel some stars with enough velocity to force them out of their natal homes and into nearby space.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
-
Sutton and Rogers met before her murder and are believed to have slept together.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
For the formal event, Scary Spice has had to meet with several archbishops in preparation.—
Rachel McRady,
People.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
Authorities said his car was found at the Mount Adams trailhead, while his remains were found on the Allen Mountain Trail.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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By 2000, detectives were able to use new DNA testing technology to build a profile of the suspect based on a bloodstain found on the wall and the fluids found on the girl’s body.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Major cities like New York were already facing frightening death tolls that climbed higher each day—but that’s not what Eddington is about.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
17 May 2025
-
Family offices today face a more complex market than ever.—
DJ Van Keuren,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
But the pause comes amid a backdrop of daily skirmishes, largely by drone warfare.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
Not about the economic turmoil from tariffs, any one of the skirmishes playing out abroad, or a surprise shake-up in his White House staff.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Verb
-
But the best leaders rise above the fray, and to this point Devers hasn’t reached a point where his first instinct when confronted by a challenge like this is to lift his team up.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2025
-
That’s not the only way Leo XIV echoed the voice of his predecessor, Like the late Pope Francis, Leo has also been a strong supporter of the need to confront the threats of climate change.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
With a tool-free brush and filter removal that reduces downtime, maintenance is simplified.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
Remove grates from the water and scrub with a nylon brush or aluminum foil.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
The metallic threading catches light in ways that basic prints could only dream about.—
Pooja Shah,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
This is a great UFC Fight Night that will not disappoint; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
The court appearance had stalled last month due to a fight over access to a parole document.—
Karim Doumar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2025
-
Turns out that during the fight, Gretchen switched papers.—
Tanya Melendez,
EW.com,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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