Synonyms of encounter

encounter 1 of 2

verb

1

as in to meet

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

• meet
• confront
• catch
• greet
• happen (upon)
• stumble (upon)
• run upon
• run into
• run across
• bump into
• chance (upon)
• face
• cross paths (with)
• accost
• salute
• cross
• pass
• crash (into)
• collide (with)
• hit (upon)
• tumble (to)
• light (upon)
• crisscross
• reencounter
• remeet

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoid
• escape
• evade
• shake
• elude
• shun
• dodge
• duck

2

as in to find

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

• find
• meet
• hit (upon)
• run against
• happen (on or upon)
• come across
• run into
• face
• discover
• run across
• pitch (upon)
• confront
• stumble (on or onto)
• light (on or upon)
• tumble (upon)
• run upon
• bump into
• chance (upon)
• luck (out, on, onto, or into)
• turn up
• strike

3

as in to face

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

• face
• meet
• engage
• fight
• take on
• battle
• contend
• emulate
• oppose
• rival

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escape
• evade
• elude
• retreat

encounter

2 of 2

noun

as in skirmish

a brief clash between enemies or rivals

survived an encounter with the school bully at the local park

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skirmish
• brush
• fight
• run-in
• argument
• brawl
• quarrel
• battle
• spat
• scrape
• hassle
• squabble
• row
• tiff
• wrangle
• fray