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 story turns Hishem, on a customs officer on the Algerian-Tunisian border, who encounters Tesla, a donkey lost in the desert with headphones over his ears, with a bag of cocaine on his back. — Annika Pham, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026

The strongest plan is not the one that never encounters disruption. — Kristin Vance Richards, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

California shark encounters There were fewer than 250 shark incidents in California since 1950, with encounters recorded in every coastal county. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 July 2026

These unusual conditions explain why Sara discovers an ominous dead saltwater fish inside the caves before the group encounters a much larger ocean creature. — Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 29 July 2026

Calypso is a nymph that Odysseus encounters on the mythical island of Ogygia. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Norah goes to search for her, and in doing so, encounters George Bartram, the heir. — Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

The players in this year’s final will all know each other well from La Liga encounters — 24 of the 52 across both squads feature for Spanish clubs (18 for Spain and six for Argentina). — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026

In Homer’s epic, Circe is one of several powerful women Odysseus encounters — and eventually sleeps with — during his journey home. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026

Noun

Figueroa told the girls how much to charge and how to conduct the encounters, prosecutors said. — Eric Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Others are using wearable brain imaging systems to study social cognition in natural encounters between people, which isn’t possible when subjects are in scanners like MRI machines. — Yigit Topoglu, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

In the course of her stay, Birdie explores the rooms of her aunts and grandmother’s house, and has encounters with her relatives. — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026

The festival began as a seasonal attraction but has grown into a Kansas City-area family tradition centered on education and close encounters with butterflies. — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

Lowe explains that juvenile white sharks show little interest in people despite hundreds of encounters each week. — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

Despite the changing migration patterns, Kajiura stressed that shark encounters remain rare and said people shouldn't let the research keep them out of the water. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026

Hundreds of entries list interviews, flattering articles, celebrity encounters, and awards. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026

However, the evidence amassed so far strongly suggests that bird encounters improve human lives. — The Conversation, Fortune, 27 July 2026