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
What should people do when encountering moose?
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
In the meantime, more essential services the government provides run the risk of running out of money, seeing staffing shortages and encountering other problems due to the lapse in funding.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Many reported encountering error messages suggesting technical or browser-related issues, impacting their ability to watch the high-stakes live performances and real-time eliminations.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
However, Lee does keep some secrets to himself during their chat, choosing to lie to Donald about never meeting his brother despite encountering him at his bookstore.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
Research has shown that many people living with HIV from vulnerable populations report encountering these forms of discrimination and stigma when seeking health care.
—Robin Lin Miller, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
When the eye looks symmetrical, that often means the storm is not encountering anything to weaken it.
—William B. Davis, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Directed by Naohito Takahashi, the 25-episode run of Berserk takes on some of the manga’s most memorably chapters — from the introduction of its gruff, greatsword-swinging antihero Guts and his warrior comrades in the Band of the Hawk to their ultimate fate upon encountering a massive demon army.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Related Stories The film follows Alok Goyal, a journalist who transforms into a vampiric creature called Betal after encountering a mysterious woman, and must save humanity from the bloodlust of an ancient evil.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
In the meantime, more essential services the government provides run the risk of running out of money, seeing staffing shortages and encountering other problems due to the lapse in funding.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Many reported encountering error messages suggesting technical or browser-related issues, impacting their ability to watch the high-stakes live performances and real-time eliminations.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
However, Lee does keep some secrets to himself during their chat, choosing to lie to Donald about never meeting his brother despite encountering him at his bookstore.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
Research has shown that many people living with HIV from vulnerable populations report encountering these forms of discrimination and stigma when seeking health care.
—Robin Lin Miller, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
When the eye looks symmetrical, that often means the storm is not encountering anything to weaken it.
—William B. Davis, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Directed by Naohito Takahashi, the 25-episode run of Berserk takes on some of the manga’s most memorably chapters — from the introduction of its gruff, greatsword-swinging antihero Guts and his warrior comrades in the Band of the Hawk to their ultimate fate upon encountering a massive demon army.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Related Stories The film follows Alok Goyal, a journalist who transforms into a vampiric creature called Betal after encountering a mysterious woman, and must save humanity from the bloodlust of an ancient evil.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering
Verb
-
In a longer video the user shared to YouTube, a group of people can be seen confronting the guest at the bottom of the lift hill's stairs.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The deputy was seen on video struggling through makeshift barricades of mattresses and furniture before confronting Camacho, who was holding the boy in a chokehold with one hand while brandishing a knife in the other.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Barca are finding life more difficult this term, though.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
With child care now costing costing more than many college degrees and more than rent in some major cities, parents are finding finances stretched.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Pakko acknowledged the challenges row-crop farmers are facing and how that contributed to his predictions for the overall Arkansas economy.—
Sydney Sasser,
Arkansas Online,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Bank of America’s virtual financial assistant, Erica, is at the forefront of the bank’s client-facing technology.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The two have been close since meeting at a 2014 Oscars after-party.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
-
To this day, it's celebrated as one of the most iconic musical pairings ever captured on television — a shimmering handoff between generations and a snapshot of two powerhouse voices meeting in perfect harmony.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Chasing young shoppers has long been job number one in fashion — but actually catching them has never been so hard.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Marion had the breakout game, catching all three of his targets for 116 yards and a 61-yard touchdown.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Trump hastened to meet Putin upon assuming office, greeting him in person in Alaska.—
Kim Lane Scheppele,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The incident took place on Tuesday when a man broke through a crowd of people greeting Sheinbaum in Mexico City and appeared to grope her, according to viral footage of the incident.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encountering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountering. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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