Synonyms of encountered

encountered

verb

past tense of encounter

1

as in met

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

• met
• confronted
• caught
• greeted
• happened (upon)
• stumbled (upon)
• faced
• ran into
• ran across
• bumped into
• chanced (upon)
• accosted
• ran upon
• crossed paths (with)
• saluted
• passed
• crossed
• crashed (into)
• crisscrossed
• collided (with)
• hit (upon)
• lit (upon)
• tumbled (to)
• reencountered
• remet

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoided
• escaped
• shook
• evaded
• ducked
• eluded
• shunned
• dodged

2

as in found

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

• found
• met
• faced
• hit (upon)
• happened (on or upon)
• came across
• discovered
• pitched (upon)
• stumbled (on or onto)
• confronted
• tumbled (upon)
• ran into
• ran across
• lit (on or upon)
• bumped into
• ran against
• chanced (upon)
• ran upon
• turned up
• lucked (out, on, onto, or into)
• struck

3

as in faced

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

• faced
• met
• engaged
• fought
• battled
• took on
• opposed
• contended
• rivaled
• emulated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escaped
• evaded
• eluded
• retreated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of encountered

Along the way, he's encountered some of the challenges that come with spending weeks on two wheels. — Marlee Ginter, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

Cottonmouths — semiaquatic snakes also known as water moccasins — are in the top three most commonly encountered venomous snakes in Arkansas, Davis said. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Zinn also lived through some of the absurdities that Yossarian encountered. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

And yet, few people seem to have encountered Crashing, her deeply enjoyable comedy that debuted the same year as Fleabag. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Others had encountered her through nightlife, music or mutual friends. — Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026

Inside the funeral home, sources told the Tribune on Friday, police and other authorities encountered bodies on gurneys but also on shelves alongside equipment. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Nearly everyone with indoor greenery has encountered fungus gnats in plants at one time or another. — Leah Chester-Davis, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2026

The plane encountered immediate opposition due to its high operating costs and noise, including the sonic booms. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026