ENCOUNTERS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

encounters 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of encounter

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 encounters

Verb

Good Samaritan Outreach, an Orlando nonprofit food pantry and soup kitchen founded in 1997, encounters these families every week, people who are doing their best but need a helping hand to ensure their children not go to bed hungry. — Christine Franz, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 When the scanning tip encounters a rough surface, the mechanical contact between the probe and the sample changes. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026 If a machine encounters something unusual or gets stuck, someone monitoring the fleet can briefly intervene until the autonomous system is ready to take back over. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026 Zai encounters them inside and on the streets, as a sense of terror envelops her. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 Nolte and Ben Mendelsohn, who makes a vivid impression as a farmer who encounters Caleb, were locked in early on, but otherwise, things went down to the wire. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Throughout the journey, the conservationist, television host and executive producer encounters black bears, alligators and native fish while documenting active wildlife rescue and conservation efforts. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 Every leader eventually encounters a mountain that cannot be crossed through vision alone. — Jason Bork, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The prince, Ashitaka, encounters a forest-dwelling young woman called San on his journey and the two become friends, teaming up to help save the forest and end his curse. — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026

Noun

That doesn’t mean people should worry, as the vast majority of encounters don’t result in bites. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 People tend to be more observant after seeing social media posts or news reports about snake encounters or bites. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026 Winter also brings memorable encounters with whales across Australia, including swimming with dwarf minke whales along the Great Barrier Reef from June through July and spotting migrating humpbacks along the east coast from May through October. — Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026 In New York City, for instance, pedestrians remain far more likely to be hurt or die in encounters with cars, trucks, or vans. — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Matthew Walker’s encounters with Myers started four months before the September 2024 voicemail to his wife. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Between these encounters Faye deals with vitriol from her cranky downstairs neighbors. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Changing temperatures cause snakes to become more active, increasing the chances of encounters with people and pets. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The days spent with the other witnesses as well as the encounters and testimonies shed light on events that had remained unresolved for decades. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounters

Verb

Meanwhile, the Bank of England, which meets shortly after the Fed, is widely expected by markets to hold rates unchanged.

— , CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
The changes are part of a broader effort by local agencies to keep pace with growth north of Eagle and improve emergency response in an area where suburban development increasingly meets the Foothills, Lewis said.

— Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of meets

Verb

Being unmarked and arriving with momentum, Odegaard finds himself in a one-v-one with the goalkeeper again caught on his line.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Bridgespan’s report finds that families in middle-income countries are more likely to administer their own programs than those in higher-income countries.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of finds

Verb

Making those comments before Michigan faces Oklahoma, one of the toughest defenses on its schedule, lays the groundwork for a QB switch if the offense sputters again.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Russian forces have ramped up the number of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as Kyiv faces a shortage of air defense equipment.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of faces

Noun

Its outcome will be a major milestone in the decades-long political skirmishes over CEQA.

— Dan Walters, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026
In 1988, for instance, Khomeini finally agreed to end his war with Iraq after the United States began engaging Iranian naval ships in direct skirmishes, leading him to fear that Reagan might formally align with Saddam Hussein’s regime.

— Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

Verb

The administration confronts anger over rising costs, reclassified casualties and Brent crude near $95 a barrel, with gas prices and inflation squeezing Americans as Republicans try to protect narrow congressional majorities.

— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
In the finale, Alice confronts Easton at his home and has to acknowledge that an entire cohort of people — cops, other wealthy men, even Easton’s own daughter — were complicit in his crimes.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of confronts

Noun

These included bitter title fights and tangles with his former teammate Nico Rosberg, plus flashpoints with Valtteri Bottas and Russell.

— Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
His signature project, a White House ballroom and underground bunker, continues as legal fights play out.

— Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of fights

Noun

After filling our brushes with mouthwash from docking station reservoirs, Sarah and I brushed our teeth side-by-side (a first for both of us professionally).

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
In total, the recall now affects 3,625,800 grill brushes, which have black plastic, stainless steel and wood handles.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of brushes

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encountering

encounters

encourage

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“Encounters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounters. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of encounters

verb

noun

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