1
as in to encounter
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
chanced upon my archenemy as I rounded a corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
I chanced upon your mother in the grocery store yesterday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chance (upon)
Verb
-
People dispense advice to our heroine of the kind that one encounters in stories properly poised on the cusp of life.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026 -
The shine of this magic trick hasn’t worn off, and my favorite place to encounter it is in a truly harrowing adventure story.—
Dan Zak,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Arttu Hyry has been terrific since entering the lineup for Game 2, but his third line hasn’t found the back of the net.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Ease off the accelerator - Step off the gas to slow down the vehicle until the tires find traction.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Mars meets resistance from Jupiter, overcommitting creates unnecessary stress.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Reports in national dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera did not indicate whether Rubio, a Catholic, would meet personally with Leo.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Chance (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chance%20%28upon%29. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
