1
as in met
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 found
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 faced
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 encountered
This longing for a more tangible experience reflects the broader nostalgia that has shaped Gen Z’s coming of age—nostalgia for a past that many did not experience firsthand, but instead encountered through images.
—
Jalil Johnson, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
Less than an hour later, Hall-Bennetts encountered Patton during a safety check.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Plans to serve booze at White Stadium’s professional soccer matches in Boston have encountered pushback by critics of the city’s public-private rehab plan, but a ban on alcohol would effectively kill the $325 million project.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Drivers using the single open lane encountered stop-and-go conditions, while nearby streets such as 18th Avenue also saw congestion as motorists tried to bypass the closure.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 26 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
During the outing, the hunting party unexpectedly encountered a group of five female elephants with a calf.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
This project encountered several delays, and POSCO dropped it a few years ago due to difficulties in acquiring land, according to a Reuters report.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
And yes, any one person who does it might not be encountered often, but the older person may encounter it multiple times (from different people) in the same week.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Jalil Johnson, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
Less than an hour later, Hall-Bennetts encountered Patton during a safety check.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Plans to serve booze at White Stadium’s professional soccer matches in Boston have encountered pushback by critics of the city’s public-private rehab plan, but a ban on alcohol would effectively kill the $325 million project.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Drivers using the single open lane encountered stop-and-go conditions, while nearby streets such as 18th Avenue also saw congestion as motorists tried to bypass the closure.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 26 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
During the outing, the hunting party unexpectedly encountered a group of five female elephants with a calf.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
This project encountered several delays, and POSCO dropped it a few years ago due to difficulties in acquiring land, according to a Reuters report.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
And yes, any one person who does it might not be encountered often, but the older person may encounter it multiple times (from different people) in the same week.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountered
Verb
-
The 2024 opening of the facility met with some resistance from local community leaders, who had safety concerns.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
According to court documents, at the scene, two female victims, including one woman who had a large cut across her face, met responding officers.—
Alexa Ashwell,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Carter also co-founded a non-profit in his community called The Local Voice, which aided women fighting breast cancer.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The story of the site, which was subsequently bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in 2005, is told in MySpace, a documentary directed by Tommy Avallone and produced by Gunpowder & Sky, the company founded by former MTV boss Van Toffler.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
However — and this is significant — Buffett faced some years with huge losses.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When agents confronted him, the situation escalated quickly.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Spillman appeared to take issue with Amil's vehicle blocking the sidewalk and confronted him.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gonzales drove a first-pitch slider to left, and Church jumped and caught the ball above the top of the 6-foot wall, 373 feet from home plate.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
That’s what kept his head on straight in the trenches, even when his socks got bogged down with mud and soldiers flanked on either side of him caught shrapnel or pneumonia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After a few short rings, a bubbly introduction greeted me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Guests are greeted by their butler with a drink on arrival (there’s nothing like rum served in a fresh coconut to welcome you to the Caribbean) and shown around their suite.—
Hollie Clemence,
TheWeek,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountered. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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