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

Signs of a measles infection generally appear seven to 14 days after someone encounters the virus. —Finch Walker, USA Today, 13 May 2026

The project is co-created with author Nicholas Sparks and tells the story of an architect recovering from depression who moves to Cape Cod and encounters a mysterious woman. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026

Odysseus encounters a cyclops, sea monsters, and a sorceress who transforms men into animals, all rendered with minimal CGI and maximum ambition. —Eliana Dockterman, Time, 12 May 2026

As the slime stretches through the air and encounters mechanical stress, those nanoglobules begin to reorganize. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026

People dispense advice to our heroine of the kind that one encounters in stories properly poised on the cusp of life. —James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Given the complaint’s estimate that Temu is responsible for over 10,000 spam emails to Californians each year, the company encounters considerable potential liability in a state that is a primary battleground for digital privacy rights. —Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 1 May 2026

Because every experience a child has during their early years helps create new neural connections, wiring the brain for all future learning and connecting, encounters with AI slop may literally wire the brain incorrectly. —Dana Suskind, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026

In the film, Stella’s character encounters the 39-year-old version of herself — played by Plaza — while on a mushroom trip. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026

Noun

One major notable difference between the two encounters, however, was Taiwan, which was a cornerstone of one meeting and completely absent from the other. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 20 May 2026

Timing is also key to side-stepping any possible encounters with crowds. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

In 2023 and 2024, monthly leucovorin prescription rates among kids with autism held steady at 34 orders per 100,000 clinical encounters. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 19 May 2026

There have been nearly 1,300 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 260 resulted in death, according to a database of the predators' encounters with humans. —CBS News, 18 May 2026

This is cause for sadness, but also for joy; as Hamaguchi’s admirers know, even the briefest encounters can be profoundly life-changing. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

Our encounters with drones usually end with the explosive crash of one falling nearby. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 May 2026

Juvenile great whites seen near local shores do not view humans as food, and the risk of negative encounters is low. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

The talk of the talk show hosts' gathering included the state of late-night television, amorous encounters with guests and one high-profile hate-watcher. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 12 May 2026