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
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, who hopes to return home to his wife (Anne Hathaway) after the Trojan War, but (famously), encounters a few obstacles.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Still deeply scarred by his ex-lover’s death, Pine surprisingly encounters his nemesis in person when Roper and his late-arriving entourage check into the hotel.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
But the film is at its strongest during a sequence when Salim (Saleh Bakri), the son of Sharif and father of Noor, encounters Israeli soldiers who belittle him in front of his son while both on their way to pick up a prescription for Salim’s ailing father.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
On his way to a Harlem fundraiser for a friend running for office (Aldis Hodge), Clay encounters a strange white woman on the train.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
How to make time for workouts In her clinic, Pasculli encounters lots of patients who struggle with scheduling exercise into their calendars.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Delivered in the style of a classic storybook cartoon, à la Winnie the Pooh, Stan encounters a group of seemingly benevolent woodland creatures who need a manger for the birth of their savior.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Beyond revenue, the company also measures success through social engagement, repeat purchases and cross-category shopping—whether that’s a customer who first encounters Wrangler through a collaboration and later returns for denim or home goods.
—Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
Greg Wehner , Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
There are consensual encounters and there are nonconsensual encounters.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
The tense encounters are happening at places like Target, Walmart and other private businesses.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
The December incident is one in a series of violent encounters involving federal officers since Trump ramped up immigration enforcement during his second term.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
Many drinkers still have a negative image of the whole category because of past encounters with flawed bottles.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Spanning decades, the movie captures his encounters with romance and heartbreak, grief and redemption — at a deliberate pace, the thrills being found in Adolpho Veloso’s lush cinematography and Edgerton’s quietly stirring performance.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Dallas police will not provide routine reports to the city’s police oversight board on officers’ encounters with federal immigration authorities, Chief Daniel Comeaux said Tuesday, arguing such disclosures could put officers at risk.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
Through intimate encounters and unfiltered conversations, White Man Walking captures a nation riven by fear, disinformation, and historical grievance, while also offering glimpses of empathy and human connection.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Years later, Jake encounters an older Sadie at an event where she's being honored as Texas Woman of the Year.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, who hopes to return home to his wife (Anne Hathaway) after the Trojan War, but (famously), encounters a few obstacles.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Still deeply scarred by his ex-lover’s death, Pine surprisingly encounters his nemesis in person when Roper and his late-arriving entourage check into the hotel.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
But the film is at its strongest during a sequence when Salim (Saleh Bakri), the son of Sharif and father of Noor, encounters Israeli soldiers who belittle him in front of his son while both on their way to pick up a prescription for Salim’s ailing father.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
On his way to a Harlem fundraiser for a friend running for office (Aldis Hodge), Clay encounters a strange white woman on the train.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
How to make time for workouts In her clinic, Pasculli encounters lots of patients who struggle with scheduling exercise into their calendars.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Delivered in the style of a classic storybook cartoon, à la Winnie the Pooh, Stan encounters a group of seemingly benevolent woodland creatures who need a manger for the birth of their savior.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Beyond revenue, the company also measures success through social engagement, repeat purchases and cross-category shopping—whether that’s a customer who first encounters Wrangler through a collaboration and later returns for denim or home goods.
—Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
Noun
The move marks a departure from past administrations, which have typically moved quickly to open Justice Department civil rights reviews of fatal encounters involving law enforcement, even when criminal charges were considered unlikely.
—Greg Wehner , Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
There are consensual encounters and there are nonconsensual encounters.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
The tense encounters are happening at places like Target, Walmart and other private businesses.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
The December incident is one in a series of violent encounters involving federal officers since Trump ramped up immigration enforcement during his second term.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
Many drinkers still have a negative image of the whole category because of past encounters with flawed bottles.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Spanning decades, the movie captures his encounters with romance and heartbreak, grief and redemption — at a deliberate pace, the thrills being found in Adolpho Veloso’s lush cinematography and Edgerton’s quietly stirring performance.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Dallas police will not provide routine reports to the city’s police oversight board on officers’ encounters with federal immigration authorities, Chief Daniel Comeaux said Tuesday, arguing such disclosures could put officers at risk.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
Through intimate encounters and unfiltered conversations, White Man Walking captures a nation riven by fear, disinformation, and historical grievance, while also offering glimpses of empathy and human connection.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounters
Verb
-
Lockheed Martin revealed that the NGSRI offering is being developed as a 21st Century Security solution that meets all soldier safety and performance needs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
As Mercury meets Jupiter, avoid allowing potential blind you to reality!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The patient thriller finds Agnes lonely in her seedy motel, with a phone that often rings, though the person on the other end of the line never speaks.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t miss out on fuzzy socks, best-selling makeup, clever home organizing essentials, and more under-the-radar finds starting at $4.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Charlotte region faces a harsh night on Thursday, including dangerous wind chills, according to the National Weather Service.—
Mark Price
January 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Savage was arrested and now faces one charge of child abuse.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes in both countries when border skirmishes broke out for the second time this year.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Dec. 2025
-
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border – a dispute that has occasionally exploded into skirmishes and fighting.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Freedom of assembly and association has deteriorated, while independent civil society confronts shrinking space to operate.—
Tharo Khun,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
-
On a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay, a deeply rooted Christian fishing community confronts the erosion of land and tradition, as their centuries-old way of life, anchored in faith, approaches a turning point.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There were still fights to fight and Perfidia’s restlessness and struggles adjusting to motherhood led her to leave.—
Lindsey Underwood,
Vanity Fair,
13 Jan. 2026
-
From high-stakes budget fights to ambitious transit plans and a political cycle already heating up, these are some of the people who will leave their fingerprints on the year ahead.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Australian Geographic reports that the bird catches prey midair during hunting.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Despite these close ties, the identity of the murderer catches her completely by surprise.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s also a section to store makeup brushes, plus several mesh pockets for lipsticks and smaller items, and a separate waterproof pocket for damp items.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Plastic hairbrushes and combs can be placed in the utensil basket, but don't include any natural-bristle brushes or those with wooden handles.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encounters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounters. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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