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

Catton’s ecological collective occupies unused land to grow food, but then encounters a fabulously wealthy man with his own plans for the landscape. — Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

According to the company, if Fi0 encounters a task outside its existing capabilities, a human can provide a single demonstration. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026

In short, no one who encounters them is impressed by their capability or their intelligence, not even their own cats, and the only souls who seem to fully believe in them are one another. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Then slow weakening is forecast as the storm moves over cooler waters and encounters dry air and wind shear. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

Get our free Roseville email newsletter here Anyone who encounters a bear should avoid approaching or feeding it and give the animal plenty of room to move through the area, police said. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Near the end of the three-and-a-half minute video, Westbrook — who shares son Noah, 9, and twin daughters Skye and Jordyn, 7 with his wife, Nina — encounters an unfinished room of the museum. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026

Coon plays Rita, a woman in midlife haunted by the weight of her past, who encounters magnetic young spiritual leader Ricki (James) and leaves her family to follow her to an all-female commune. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

The locations were transformed into a variety of settings, including ancient Troy, Odysseus' homeland of Ithaca and the cave in which the hero encounters the Cyclops. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Noun

For the newest campaign, Belle stars in a series of New York scenes — ranging from late-night taxi rides to chance sidewalk encounters to phone booth conversations — in which the right pair of shoes has the power to change everything. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026

In Mesa County, which includes Grand Junction, residents have reported 308 bear encounters, up from just 33 in 2025. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2026

But the friends also recalled chance — or more purposeful — encounters in the years since. — Ben Paviour august 17, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Tensions between the Syrian Army and the Druze minority in southern Syria continue to spark deadly encounters. — Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

As bears have become increasingly common in Connecticut, so have their encounters with humans. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026

Ruiz felt aggrieved at having these unendurable encounters constantly visited on him. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

In the wake of the latest road rage shooting, Fort Worth police are warning drivers to disengage from aggressive encounters. — Marissa Armas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

During the first two encounters, police said the man stopped to ask her questions. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026