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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encountered
This project encountered several delays, and POSCO dropped it a few years ago due to difficulties in acquiring land, according to a Reuters report.
—
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
And yes, any one person who does it might not be encountered often, but the older person may encounter it multiple times (from different people) in the same week.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
The department has encountered legal challenges to the firings.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, officers arriving at the school encountered several students who were already using their cellphones to track the missing girl through a social media app, police said and Alsanai confirmed.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
Officers arrived and encountered a man matching the description provided by the caller and attempted to de-escalate the situation, police said.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2026
Space Systems Command has moved four launches of new GPS navigation satellites from ULA to SpaceX in the past two years as Vulcan encountered delays.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026
Environmental authorities in Colombia say the mammals pose a threat to villagers who have encountered them in farms and rivers.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Riding on buses and trains in Seoul, Lee encountered electronic signs instructing riders on the etiquette of using public transportation.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
And yes, any one person who does it might not be encountered often, but the older person may encounter it multiple times (from different people) in the same week.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
The department has encountered legal challenges to the firings.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, officers arriving at the school encountered several students who were already using their cellphones to track the missing girl through a social media app, police said and Alsanai confirmed.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
Officers arrived and encountered a man matching the description provided by the caller and attempted to de-escalate the situation, police said.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2026
Space Systems Command has moved four launches of new GPS navigation satellites from ULA to SpaceX in the past two years as Vulcan encountered delays.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026
Environmental authorities in Colombia say the mammals pose a threat to villagers who have encountered them in farms and rivers.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Riding on buses and trains in Seoul, Lee encountered electronic signs instructing riders on the etiquette of using public transportation.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountered
Verb
-
The Flyers and Penguins last met in the playoffs in 2018, with Pittsburgh winning the series 4-2.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The army takeover was met with massive nonviolent resistance, which has since become a civil war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When one landowner stuck a fireworks stand on the property across the way and was letting consumers shoot them off on-site, Foreman fought it by founding the Church of Peace and Quiet.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Ksubi Ksubi is celebrating 420 by dropping a new capsule collection with STAYME70, the premium cannabis brand founded by former professional basketball player Carmelo Anthony.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That moment, over a quarter of a century in the making, came in December 2025 when Tiffani McInnis—flanked by supporters—faced her mother's killer in a courtroom.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
During its high-stakes re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, the Orion capsule faced extreme temperatures nearing 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An employee then confronted the suspect and was punched multiple times before the suspect fled the store, police said.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Whatever the case, Safi allegedly confronted the owner inside the store, eventually getting the attention of Carver, who later argued with Safi and his friend outside the store.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His passion for off-roading and extreme competition now extends to his two sons, who have caught the Currie racing fervor.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Read the story of the angler who caught 19 pounds of largemouth on one cast.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Starmer’s explanation was greeted with jeers from opposition lawmakers, incredulous that the nation’s leader hadn’t known such a crucial piece of information.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Lady Sarah also greeted Queen Camilla, 78, with a kiss at the exhibit.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountered. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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