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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encounter
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
One challenge the next state controller will face is the effort to modernize the state’s payroll system, which has encountered significant delays and is one of California’s most costly IT projects.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Suarez offered no physical resistance throughout the encounter, and balled up with his hands over his head as DeMaio struck him, according to a law enforcement source.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Risk of escalation Castillo warned the danger increases if homeowners encounter suspects during a burglary.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
One challenge the next state controller will face is the effort to modernize the state’s payroll system, which has encountered significant delays and is one of California’s most costly IT projects.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Already, there’s been an uptick in shark sightings and encounters, with the beach closed recently in Newport Beach and a fisherman hooking and releasing a great white off Manhattan Beach Pier.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Suarez offered no physical resistance throughout the encounter, and balled up with his hands over his head as DeMaio struck him, according to a law enforcement source.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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Chelsea and City will meet in the FA Cup final after a beast of a hit from Nico Gonzalez (above) saw City through their semi against Southampton on Saturday.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Lawmakers will meet in a special session beginning May 12, so there is still time to correct course.—
Susan Carr,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 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
-
When the 2025 season ended, the Vikings faced a steep salary-cap overage.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
We are faced with a vastly more consequential version of a Catch-22.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination for the second straight game with a clutch Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, but celebrations were briefly halted when a skirmish erupted over a controversial hit on Sidney Crosby after the final buzzer.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Walker, in a 10-pitch skirmish, drew a walk.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The officer is seen attempting to confront the driver when he gets knocked into the suspect's SUV through an open passenger-side door as the vehicle accelerates a brief distance in reverse.—
Brian Day,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then as a tenant left the apartment building Garcia slipped inside before entering Negron’s daughter’s apartment, confronting Negron in the bathroom and shooting her in the forehead, torso, arms and legs.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Crews made fast work of a 10-acre fire that erupted in brush in the vicinity of the SoCal Sports complex and Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, briefly prompting an order that people in the area shelter in place Friday.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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Two brushes are included in this set, both featuring coarse and soft bristles.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Overall, about half of children with the disease are infected during birth, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said, while others caught it from family members.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 2023, the NCAA put in guidelines that punish athletes caught gambling on their own school, or other sports at their school, with a permanent loss of eligibility.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Denver police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old man who investigators said shot and killed another man in a fight near South Broadway and West Maple Avenue, department officials said in a news release.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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