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

Thus far, this is not a problem the city reports encountering. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

According to the company, Skyring walked 75 miles over seven days through the Namib Desert to the Skeleton Coast in July 2000, encountering several oryx gazelles along the way. — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

Patients encountering a dubious medical claim on TikTok, YouTube, or a podcast rarely have an equivalent source of evidence available in the same moment. — Avi Tuschman, STAT, 13 Aug. 2026

Former Sears Foundation President Paula Jones, whose more than 24-year career at Sears included serving as its head of marketing communications, recalled starting work at Sears at age 21 and encountering very few fellow Black women. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

These 1 billion users may also be encountering Gemini in all those places, but that’s not the MAU metric. — ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026

Divers and snorkelers can weave through forests of giant kelp towers, encountering famously playful sea lions, neon fish, and historic shipwrecks. — Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026

Nearly 90 industry partners are participating in Northern Strike, according to Wagh, allowing troops to work with developing capabilities before potentially encountering them in conflict. — Olivianna Calmes, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Still, these owners have dealt with all the pricing and supply chain uncertainties of the pandemic, and are now encountering issues with inflation, tariffs and more. — Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026