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
In the same blog post, Sweeney said the challenges Epic Games is encountering are visible across the entire video game industry, amid rising competition, weaker consumer spending, and slower console sales, among other issues.
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Their appraisal underscored the challenges the Survivors’ Act was encountering in the courtroom.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
In Thomas Bernhard’s The Loser, Wertheimer, tormented by encountering a genius in the form of fellow piano student Glenn Gould, gives up his dreams of performing and moves in with his sister.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
And moreover, Tokyo in the 1990s was in a spiritual golden age, and for Hana, encountering feng shui and starting her yellow collection then was no different than going to the nail salon for us now.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
News Travelers are encountering long lines amid the fallout of a partial government shutdown.
—AJC.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Instructors also say the technology helps protect students from the emotional shock of encountering their first medical emergency without preparation.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
They are inspired by the stories of ancient cultures, captivated by the serenity of nature's wonders, and exhilarated by the excitement of encountering wildlife in their natural habitats.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
With nesting season approaching on Padre Island, the chances of encountering a Kemp’s ridley along the Texas coast go up.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Their appraisal underscored the challenges the Survivors’ Act was encountering in the courtroom.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
In Thomas Bernhard’s The Loser, Wertheimer, tormented by encountering a genius in the form of fellow piano student Glenn Gould, gives up his dreams of performing and moves in with his sister.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
And moreover, Tokyo in the 1990s was in a spiritual golden age, and for Hana, encountering feng shui and starting her yellow collection then was no different than going to the nail salon for us now.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
News Travelers are encountering long lines amid the fallout of a partial government shutdown.
—AJC.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Instructors also say the technology helps protect students from the emotional shock of encountering their first medical emergency without preparation.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
They are inspired by the stories of ancient cultures, captivated by the serenity of nature's wonders, and exhilarated by the excitement of encountering wildlife in their natural habitats.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
With nesting season approaching on Padre Island, the chances of encountering a Kemp’s ridley along the Texas coast go up.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering
Verb
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The most recent one, starting in November 2022, saw Iger confronting vexing issues like AI, labor unrest and the need to lay off thousands of workers amid sweeping industry consolidation.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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In my own experience, Maryland farmers tend to be the most aggressive in confronting animal cruelty.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For those who are unable to take HT, finding relief may look like cobbling together other medication, such as the nonhormonal drug elinzanetant (Lynkuet) recently approved to manage hot flashes, with various lifestyle adjustments.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Inspectors cited the restaurant after finding a cot in the restaurant’s dry storage area, along with employee items stored throughout, county documents show.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their perspectives should be central to the story, and Theroux’s even inadvertent sidelining of their experiences underscore a deeper issue facing the accurate portrayal of sexism and gender dynamics in documentaries.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Internet is…the Internet, and soon Shah is facing escalating threats and disapproving media coverage, including a column by his ex (Ritu Arya’s Yasmin), arguing that a Pakistani-British man playing James Bond won’t erase the character’s neo-colonial stench, so why bother?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In October 2025, the trust team organized its first pop-up newsroom, with a few dozen journalists rotating through a temporary workspace in South Dallas, meeting with 70 community residents over three days.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
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In 2019, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the first Japanese leader in over 40 years to visit Tehran, meeting the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an effort to mediate between Washington and Tehran.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cyrus says, catching a glimpse of herself and her blond hair in a mirror on set, on her way to the fictional Miley Stewart's famous kitchen.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
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While the catching situation is settled for the start of the season, the Sox still have decisions to make with their bullpen.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Campaign spokesperson Emily Soong said Bean had been out at the polls greeting voters earlier in the day.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The doorbell rings, and the scene shifts to a shot of Darlene, Heidi’s mother, greeting her daughter at the door, Heidi’s back to the camera.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountering. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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