ENCOUNTERING Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

encountering

verb

present participle of encounter

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

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of encountering In the very rare instances of direct danger, like encountering a particularly nasty beast with huge scythe claws, getting hit only leads to the screen fading out and Yoshi reappearing at the start of the stage. —

Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026 Investigators also believe Brown assaulted a postal worker with a rock on Plasters Avenue before encountering Paige. —

Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 18 May 2026 Thousands of fans have also been engaging with Nikki’s increasingly obsessive, unsettling texts, voice notes and special deliveries after encountering cryptic billboards across Los Angeles and New York, each featuring her obsessive messages alongside a phone number inviting them to reach out. —

Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Many adolescents are encountering videos or online discussions that normalize inhalant use. —

Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026 Scuffles broke out when groups of young marchers entered the Old City before the start of the march, encountering Palestinians in the Christian quarter. —

Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026 Gen Z is encountering a job market dramatically more punishing than the one millennials navigated, facing longer timelines and higher rejection rates. —

Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 May 2026 Fattkay’s initial plan was to build a team communication alternative after encountering high costs with existing tools. —

Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 14 May 2026 Others come with an existing interest in Japanese culture, sometimes after encountering furoshiki through travel, media or family connections. —

Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering

Verb

While still politically uncompromising and laced with cutting wit, All of a Sudden is a remarkably open-hearted work, confronting seemingly intractable systems with a simple belief in people.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Its second, which first aired in 2014, has Valerie confronting the dysfunction of her former workplaces.

— Caroline Framke, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026