Synonyms of episode

episode

noun

ˈe-pə-ˌsōd 

as in event

something that happens

I'm trying to forget the whole embarrassing episode

Synonyms & Similar Words

• event
• incident
• thing
• circumstance
• occurrence
• occasion
• happening
• time
• affair
• accident
• page
• experience
• coincidence
• phenomenon
• adventure
• landmark
• news
• hap
• turning point
• milestone
• crisis
• fluke
• emergency
• freak
• juncture
• deed
• achievement
• co-occurrence
• milepost
• happenstance
• feat
• tidings
• exploit
• happenchance

Synonym Chooser

How is the word episode distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of episode are circumstance, event, incident, and occurrence. While all these words mean "something that happens or takes place," episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident.

a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work

When might circumstance be a better fit than episode?

The words circumstance and episode can be used in similar contexts, but circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background.

couldn't recall the exact circumstances

When can event be used instead of episode?

The meanings of event and episode largely overlap; however, event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause.

the events following the assassination

When could incident be used to replace episode?

The words incident and episode are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance.

a minor wartime incident

Where would occurrence be a reasonable alternative to episode?

While in some cases nearly identical to episode, occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan.

an encounter that was a chance occurrence

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of episode

As is typical for a show of this scale, the four episodes of Season 3 provided to critics came with a laundry list of spoilers longer than some wedding toasts. —Alison Herman, Variety, 15 June 2026

That said, Kimble was asked to scale back one scene with the creature — an attack on a solider in episode two that turned out so gory, Hawley deemed it too much for even FX. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2026

The first two episodes dropped last week, with new episodes landing on Thursday evenings (a nice replacement slot for Your Friends & Neighbors). —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

The president could even learn something from this episode, said Bhumika Tharoor in The Atlantic. —Will Barker, TheWeek, 12 June 2026