Synonyms of encounters

encounters 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of encounter

1

as in meets

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

• meets
• confronts
• catches
• greets
• happens (upon)
• runs into
• stumbles (upon)
• runs upon
• runs across
• chances (upon)
• bumps into
• faces
• accosts
• crosses paths (with)
• passes
• salutes
• crosses
• crashes (into)
• collides (with)
• tumbles (to)
• crisscrosses
• hits (upon)
• reencounters
• lights (upon)
• remeets

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escapes
• avoids
• shakes
• eludes
• evades
• shuns
• ducks
• dodges

2

as in finds

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

• finds
• meets
• runs against
• happens (on or upon)
• stumbles (on or onto)
• comes across
• hits (upon)
• runs into
• tumbles (upon)
• runs across
• faces
• chances (upon)
• pitches (upon)
• lights (on or upon)
• discovers
• confronts
• runs upon
• bumps into
• lucks (out, on, onto, or into)
• turns up
• strikes

3

as in faces

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

• faces
• meets
• engages
• fights
• battles
• takes on
• contends
• rivals
• emulates
• opposes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escapes
• eludes
• evades
• retreats

encounters

2 of 2

noun

plural of encounter

as in skirmishes

a brief clash between enemies or rivals

survived an encounter with the school bully at the local park

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skirmishes
• fights
• brushes
• run-ins
• brawls
• arguments
• scrapes
• quarrels
• battles
• hassles
• squabbles
• spats
• tiffs
• rows
• wrangles
• frays

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of encounters

Verb

The film tells the story of Rita (Coon), a woman in midlife haunted by the weight of her past, encounters magnetic young spiritual leader Ricki (James) and leaves her family to follow her to an all-female commune. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 July 2026

Bar Tab Taran Dugal encounters spirits steps from Green-Wood Cemetery. — Marina Harss, New Yorker, 10 July 2026

Set in 1859 Japan, Hijikata (Yuki Yamada) is a fighter who encounters a group of men from the Shieikan dojo training facility. — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 July 2026

In Hengzhou, encounters with snakes that reportedly escaped from a farm prompted authorities to stock up on antivenom and advise residents what to do if they were bitten. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

Even in areas where sharks are commonly found, encounters with people rarely end in bites, Heithaus said. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026

There the whole family encounters their corresponding foils from the well-off Oleson family, but Laura and Mary's encounter with young Nellie proves the most explosive. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026

When a user, expecting to install a trustworthy clipboard manager, encounters the disk image, they’re prompted to press Command-R immediately after double-clicking it. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026

Inspired by Tisdale French, 41, and her own journey as a mom, the show is described as a half-hour comedy about a new mom who encounters a crew of rich mothers with a darker side. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Noun

Several bison encounters resulted in injuries to Yellowstone tourists last year. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 July 2026

In Mantzaris’ class, students eagerly debate Odysseus’ encounters with monsters and other adventures. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

Meyers had a long history of encounters with the law, as 29 criminal felony and misdemeanor cases have been filed against him since 1993. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2026

His quest is complicated by court intrigue, romance with Queen Deianira, and supernatural threats, culminating in encounters with mythical creatures, including the Hydra. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Snake bites increasing in California The CPCS reports an increase in snake encounters in California in 2026, with three fatalities reported so far. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 10 July 2026

After the success of Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn continues the franchise with more relentlessly violent Deadite encounters. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 10 July 2026

Paoline was working with Marier on a paper about police response and public perceptions of deadly force encounters. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026

Matthews works for Florida Shark Diving, one of several shark charter companies in southeast Florida that promise up-close encounters with some of the state’s apex predators. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026