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
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
Only a human therapist could aid a person who is encountering any kind of AI psychosis.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Swenson testified that she was grabbed and struck after encountering the men on the trail.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
The talents are seen moving through rooftops, staircases and open courtyards before encountering a white horse — a symbolic figure embodying independence, vitality and the spirited energy associated with the zodiac sign of the horse.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026
There’s a stunt element involved — a visibly nervous Smith climbing a 300-foot ice wall, encountering bugs and bats in an Amazon cave, out on the Pacific in the suggestion of a boat — but all with some resonance to the series’ themes of harmony with nature and cultural preservation.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Safety, wild animal management tips Here are a few things to keep in mind about safety and humane hazing when encountering wildlife, according to experts.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
According to Daniel and multiple family members, the 52-year-old had no history of mania or psychosis before encountering Meta AI.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 15 Jan. 2026
Each episode finds Xena (Lawless) and her companion Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) encountering characters from both history and mythology.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
And while volunteers are serious about citizen science, encountering such a wonderful bird leads you to smile deeply in your soul.
—Joe Murphy, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Swenson testified that she was grabbed and struck after encountering the men on the trail.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
The talents are seen moving through rooftops, staircases and open courtyards before encountering a white horse — a symbolic figure embodying independence, vitality and the spirited energy associated with the zodiac sign of the horse.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026
There’s a stunt element involved — a visibly nervous Smith climbing a 300-foot ice wall, encountering bugs and bats in an Amazon cave, out on the Pacific in the suggestion of a boat — but all with some resonance to the series’ themes of harmony with nature and cultural preservation.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Safety, wild animal management tips Here are a few things to keep in mind about safety and humane hazing when encountering wildlife, according to experts.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
According to Daniel and multiple family members, the 52-year-old had no history of mania or psychosis before encountering Meta AI.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 15 Jan. 2026
Each episode finds Xena (Lawless) and her companion Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) encountering characters from both history and mythology.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
And while volunteers are serious about citizen science, encountering such a wonderful bird leads you to smile deeply in your soul.
—Joe Murphy, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering
Verb
-
Kelly, during the demonstration, filmed himself directly confronting lead pastor Jonathan Parnell and shouting in the faces of parishioners, even following them to their cars with crying children in tow.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Board Chair Sarah Leonardi said the district is confronting significant financial realities as members considered school closures, boundary adjustments, and a proposal to move some high school graduations from large venues to on‑campus gymnasiums.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Los Angeles’s tight ends’ success in finding paydirt against Seattle could come into play again this week.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The idea behind genetic genealogy is to take DNA from a crime scene and enter it into a publicly accessible genealogy DNA database in hopes of finding a close enough match to relatives of the unknown perpetrator.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For instance, radiologists can spend less time on documentation and more time on patient-facing decisions, while therapists can reduce administrative overhead and devote more attention to clients.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Pittman, who is currently in jail, is now facing six additional charges, according to police.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Guidance and Market Expectations Peloton’s guidance for future periods has been inconsistent, at times not meeting Wall Street’s expectations.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
At a team meeting the day after Simms was hurt, Parcells addressed his team.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Far northern Illinois, the northernmost stretch of Nebraska and far northeastern Oregon are also forecast to have potential of catching the northern lights (see graphic below).—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The rules impact what is in the first five feet from a building or structure to better protect it from catching fire due to embers during a wildfire.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Valentino is then seen greeting Hathaway's character, and the scene comes to a close.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Jan. 2026
-
It was supposed to be Xabi Alonso greeting the media before Wednesday’s last-16 Copa del Rey match at Albacete.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountering. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
