1
as in confronting
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 finding
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 facing
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 encountering
Upon arrival, crews found light smoke conditions at a single-family residence, quickly encountering increasing smoke coming from a second-floor bedroom, the news release said.
—
Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The latter sees a faded star eyeing a possible comeback and encountering all sorts of ghosts from his past.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
But while nearly every other animal on Earth works to avoid encountering fires, humans actively seek it out.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
This requires practice—specifically, practice at encountering obstacles and pushing through them.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The carrier is urging passengers with flights scheduled to depart on Wednesday to check in via United's website or mobile app on Tuesday to avoid encountering problems.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Some posts included curious dogs encountering them.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Across the two teams, the new engines completed 622 laps (Racing Bulls 319, Red Bull 303) with Racing Bulls encountering no major problems on its three days of running.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Over the past 30 years, various owners have attempted to build subdivisions, golf courses, and a casino there, encountering public and political opposition each time.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The latter sees a faded star eyeing a possible comeback and encountering all sorts of ghosts from his past.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
But while nearly every other animal on Earth works to avoid encountering fires, humans actively seek it out.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
This requires practice—specifically, practice at encountering obstacles and pushing through them.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The carrier is urging passengers with flights scheduled to depart on Wednesday to check in via United's website or mobile app on Tuesday to avoid encountering problems.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Some posts included curious dogs encountering them.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Across the two teams, the new engines completed 622 laps (Racing Bulls 319, Red Bull 303) with Racing Bulls encountering no major problems on its three days of running.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Over the past 30 years, various owners have attempted to build subdivisions, golf courses, and a casino there, encountering public and political opposition each time.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering
Verb
-
Journalists and academics might think twice about confronting power.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
-
At times, it’s been challenging, confronting even (for all of us).—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
All these offers expire on February 23, so get to finding your ideal bed partner today.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond finding the origin of the lipstick vine species, Ree said the study emphasizes the importance of scientific fieldwork and observing ecological interactions.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The home team’s test not only was facing a 76ers team on a five-game win streak, but also finding the energy to keep pace.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In another document in the most recent release of the Epstein files, Google co-founder Sergey Brin emailed with Epstein’s girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, about meeting up with Epstein during a trip to New York in 2003, well before Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Indeed, the old regs were an indirect way of promoting electrification, as car companies stood little chance of meeting them without battery power or drastic lineup reworkings.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This winter, there’s a roster of new cookbooks catching our team’s attention.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Emily Ratajkowski is catching flights, not feelings this year.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Crystal’s onboard crew are your typical international mix, but many of them have been with Crystal their entire careers—many with decades of experience onboard the same ship, building ongoing relationships with repeat cruisers, often greeting them as old friends with hugs at embarkation.—
Scott Laird,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
-
On Monday morning, patchy fog is greeting Central Florida residents.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountering. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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