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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encounters
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
On Election Day, Schlossberg was campaigning out in the rain despite the concerning polls, hearing stories from passersby about their Kennedy encounters over the years and taking selfies with starstruck supporters.
—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
During routine work, R-Noid can perform tasks independently, while remote operators can intervene when the robot encounters unfamiliar situations or edge cases.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
An activity that may seem leisurely, such as swimming in a river, could end up more dangerous if someone encounters an unexpected rip current.
—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
If the vehicle encounters environmental conditions that affect that single type of sensor, all sensors could be impaired at the same time, leaving the AV without adequate perception.
—
David Risher,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
If your dog encounters a snake, staying calm and acting quickly can protect both your pet and the snake.
—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
21 June 2026
Tucker, the Special Agent in Charge for Texas and Oklahoma, said visitors should leave with memories of Southern hospitality and brisket – not encounters with illicit drugs laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.
—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
If not, dropped points would elevate Switzerland’s stress level ahead of the final group stage match against Canada on June 24 in Vancouver, while Bosnia and Herzegovina encounters Qatar in Seattle.
—
Josh Gross,
Oc Register,
17 June 2026
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
And while Aykroyd never saw her ghost himself, others who visited had encounters.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
Through behind-the-scenes glimpses of coral nurseries, reef restoration projects and marine life encounters, Hi-c hopes to introduce more people to an underwater world many never have the opportunity to see for themselves.
—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
As Micah so nicely puts it, there’s a narrative magnetism to Pitman’s repo encounters, many of which play out as micro-dramas of people in crisis confronting an embodied messenger of the great, unfeeling, deeply unfair American financial system.
—
Austin Elias-De Jesus,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Bass said the shooting demonstrates a need to review department policies governing encounters with dogs.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
20 June 2026
Lhapal Gyal said the team retained the spiritual core of the source material while reworking character relationships and the narrative structure, drawing on their own direct encounters with the landscapes, customs and culture of Xizang.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 June 2026
The death of Kohen Wiley is the latest in a series of troubling encounters with police that have outraged community members in recent years.
—
Travis Loller,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
The public usually sees it only after the most serious or high-profile encounters, just a sliver of everyday police interactions.
—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Verb
Police have advised that anyone who encounters Dobbins to contact their local law enforcement agency.
—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
On Election Day, Schlossberg was campaigning out in the rain despite the concerning polls, hearing stories from passersby about their Kennedy encounters over the years and taking selfies with starstruck supporters.
—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
During routine work, R-Noid can perform tasks independently, while remote operators can intervene when the robot encounters unfamiliar situations or edge cases.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
An activity that may seem leisurely, such as swimming in a river, could end up more dangerous if someone encounters an unexpected rip current.
—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
If the vehicle encounters environmental conditions that affect that single type of sensor, all sensors could be impaired at the same time, leaving the AV without adequate perception.
—
David Risher,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
If your dog encounters a snake, staying calm and acting quickly can protect both your pet and the snake.
—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
21 June 2026
Tucker, the Special Agent in Charge for Texas and Oklahoma, said visitors should leave with memories of Southern hospitality and brisket – not encounters with illicit drugs laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.
—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
If not, dropped points would elevate Switzerland’s stress level ahead of the final group stage match against Canada on June 24 in Vancouver, while Bosnia and Herzegovina encounters Qatar in Seattle.
—
Josh Gross,
Oc Register,
17 June 2026
Noun
Despite their abundance in some regions, blacktip sharks are generally not considered dangerous to humans, though their preference for shallow waters means encounters can occur, especially in surf zones where people are also present.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
And while Aykroyd never saw her ghost himself, others who visited had encounters.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
Through behind-the-scenes glimpses of coral nurseries, reef restoration projects and marine life encounters, Hi-c hopes to introduce more people to an underwater world many never have the opportunity to see for themselves.
—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
As Micah so nicely puts it, there’s a narrative magnetism to Pitman’s repo encounters, many of which play out as micro-dramas of people in crisis confronting an embodied messenger of the great, unfeeling, deeply unfair American financial system.
—
Austin Elias-De Jesus,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Bass said the shooting demonstrates a need to review department policies governing encounters with dogs.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
20 June 2026
Lhapal Gyal said the team retained the spiritual core of the source material while reworking character relationships and the narrative structure, drawing on their own direct encounters with the landscapes, customs and culture of Xizang.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 June 2026
The death of Kohen Wiley is the latest in a series of troubling encounters with police that have outraged community members in recent years.
—
Travis Loller,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
The public usually sees it only after the most serious or high-profile encounters, just a sliver of everyday police interactions.
—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounters
Verb
-
Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.
-
The change would allow each of the country’s 36 states to create a police force that meets a minimum national requirement while the federal police retains control of counterterrorism, border patrol, organized crime and other national security issues.
Verb
-
From fashion finds—like Madewell’s set of soft and simple crewneck T-shirts, a fabulous discovery from senior shopping editor Cortne Bonilla’s keen eye—to home steals, such as marketing and production manager Kasey Busiel’s favorite Brooklinen sheets and Talia Abbas’s Moccamaster coffee maker.
-
This revival finds new power in the intimate story of a family learning to love again set against one of the most consequential moments of the twentieth century, as the Nazi regime rises to power and authoritarianism encroaches on daily life.
Verb
-
Saturday is a Gridlock Alert Day in New York City as Panama faces England in the FIFA Men's World Cup in New Jersey.
-
Ultimately, healthcare faces crucial decisions regarding computing power, which is becoming as vital as electricity for modern medicine.
Noun
-
While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
-
Continue reading … — Two arrested as skirmishes erupt outside courthouse after Karmelo Anthony verdict.
Verb
-
Confidence wavers when the sun confronts Neptune.
-
Based on the popular Quebec comic book created by Samuel Parent and commissioned by and produced in collaboration with Télé-Québec, the series, aimed at 6 to 9-year-olds, follows the adventures of a fearless kid who confronts monsters that haunt children in the darkness of night.
Noun
-
The sequence required full-scale versions of Corlys’ (Steve Trussaint) and Lohar’s (Abigail Thorn) ships to be built and usable on both a dry tank and wet tank, thousands of gallons of water and extras and, naturally, numerous CGI dragon fights requiring mechanical bucks.
-
At 31, Moises concludes his UFC tenure with an 8-8 record over 16 fights, having faced recent struggles with three losses in his last four outings, including consecutive defeats.
Verb
-
Angèle’s narrative never catches fire and while Anei is striking as Ada, that section of the film feels slightly patronizing, reducing this immigrant tale to yet another strained salute to perseverance.
-
Then something unusual catches your eye.
Noun
-
Compact, mess-free, and surprisingly refreshing, these disposable brushes are too convenient to skip.
-
During this time, the singer also had several brushes with the law, staying at various jails and reformatories.
Cite this Entry
“Encounters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounters. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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