Synonyms of encountering

encountering

verb

present participle of encounter

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

• confronting
• meeting
• catching
• greeting
• happening (upon)
• running into
• stumbling (upon)
• facing
• running across
• bumping into
• running upon
• accosting
• crossing paths (with)
• chancing (upon)
• saluting
• crossing
• passing
• crisscrossing
• crashing (into)
• colliding (with)
• hitting (upon)
• tumbling (to)
• lighting (upon)
• reencountering
• remeeting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoiding
• escaping
• shaking
• evading
• dodging
• eluding
• shunning
• ducking

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

• finding
• meeting
• facing
• running against
• hitting (upon)
• happening (on or upon)
• discovering
• confronting
• stumbling (on or onto)
• running into
• lighting (on or upon)
• coming across
• tumbling (upon)
• pitching (upon)
• running across
• bumping into
• running upon
• chancing (upon)
• lucking (out, on, onto, or into)
• turning up
• striking

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

• facing
• meeting
• engaging
• battling
• fighting
• taking on
• opposing
• emulating
• contending
• rivaling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escaping
• evading
• retreating
• eluding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of encountering

Longwell critiques Democrats with the advantage of not being one herself, encountering them more the way independent swing voters do. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

What to Do Follow these steps when encountering a baby bear in your yard. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026

Working closely with its wholesale technology team, Arc’teryx refined its order workflows, gathered feedback directly from dealers and observed the buying process to understand where retailers were encountering obstacles. — Advertorial, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Years later, says William, a surviving police officer described encountering Biggart near the revolving doors below the building. — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Rabies exposures typically peak in the summer, since people tend to spend more time outdoors, which increases their odds of encountering wildlife. — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026

This can put a substantial amount of strain on traditional WiFi routers and result in one or more of those users encountering connectivity issues. — William Jones, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026

The show also posed sci-fi ideas, such as the potential dilemmas of time travel and encountering new and strange life forms. — Mandalit Del Barco, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

The search for the bear began in mid-August, after a homeowner was injured while encountering the bear inside her residence, officials say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2026