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

The New Evidence also devotes time to the defense theory that Laci encountered the burglars who robbed the home of across-the-street neighbors Rudy and Susan Medina. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026

Later that morning, officers again encountered the van and surrounded it after its occupants allegedly attempted to flee a second time, Reitz said. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Then, against Cleveland, Pérez encountered almost the exact opposite situation. — Tyler M. Carmona july 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

On June 20, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active emergency fire scene that was not cordoned off with cones, the company wrote in its report. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 17 July 2026

Later that morning, the federal officers again encountered the van and surrounded the vehicle, Reitz said. — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 16 July 2026

That earlier picture made a ton of money, and The Odyssey clearly has even broader appeal as an epic poem that many, many people encountered as required reading. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026

The Craighead County Sheriff’s Office encountered the school again in March 2025 when Renee Johns, whose children Jacob and Addison went to the Delta Institute, reported abuse there. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 15 July 2026

The researchers at Auxilium first encountered this challenge while developing nerve-repair implants, versions of which are already undergoing clinical trials. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026