1
as in confronting
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 finding
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 facing
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 encountering
Across New York, students are already encountering hate.
—
Samantha Hirsch, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Something that really drove me nuts in art history was encountering people who felt like what their job was to exercise taste.
—Lilyanna D'amato, ARTnews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
So just kind of encountering (those things) for the first time in my professional career.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The results are already visible in logistics, manufacturing, and autonomous systems—warehouse robots navigating crowded spaces with fewer collisions, autonomous vehicles rehearsing edge cases before encountering them on the road.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
When Martin Scorsese filmed scenes for The Wolf of Wall Street, Brodsky reportedly handed over the keys and stepped aside, later stopping by and briefly encountering the cast mid-production.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026
For this reason, the probability of encountering a descending elevator first is higher.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
The wayward high-schoolers of the HBO series are now young adults, encountering the difficulties that come with entering the real world and trying to establish themselves.
—Molly Lambert, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Two soldiers were seriously injured after encountering a brown bear during a training mission at a military base in Alaska, the Army said.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
Samantha Hirsch, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Something that really drove me nuts in art history was encountering people who felt like what their job was to exercise taste.
—Lilyanna D'amato, ARTnews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
So just kind of encountering (those things) for the first time in my professional career.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The results are already visible in logistics, manufacturing, and autonomous systems—warehouse robots navigating crowded spaces with fewer collisions, autonomous vehicles rehearsing edge cases before encountering them on the road.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
When Martin Scorsese filmed scenes for The Wolf of Wall Street, Brodsky reportedly handed over the keys and stepped aside, later stopping by and briefly encountering the cast mid-production.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2026
For this reason, the probability of encountering a descending elevator first is higher.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
The wayward high-schoolers of the HBO series are now young adults, encountering the difficulties that come with entering the real world and trying to establish themselves.
—Molly Lambert, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Two soldiers were seriously injured after encountering a brown bear during a training mission at a military base in Alaska, the Army said.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering
Verb
-
Now confronting the indictment of Rocha Mayo and others, Sheinbaum, who is inherently cautious, may seek to delay the extradition process, requesting that Washington provide more evidence to Mexico’s foreign ministry, which evaluates extradition requests.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Homelander killed Firecracker in a fit of rage after confronting her about her doubts in him.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gabriel, a 5-11 quarterback with middling arm strength, will have a difficult time finding that same opportunity.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Desperation under dire circumstances didn’t stop the Lakers from finding their lifeline in a 112-108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets, winning the 5-minute extra period 11-7 after a stunning comeback in the final minute of regulation.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That would bring the global total of people facing food insecurity to 363 million, the highest level on record.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Climate tech startups are turning to AI as the solution for more problems facing the US clean power sector.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nevertheless, the state’s governor, attorney general and legislative leaders were meeting to discuss how the state would respond.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Originally launched in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, The Longest Table has become a national movement, designed to get neighbors talking to each other and meeting new friends.—
Connie Ogle
April 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Chicago White Sox have been searching for offensive production from the catching position.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Sophomore Nate Roberts is a 6-5, 240-pounder who has blocking experience and showed off versatility catching passes in the spring.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With dresses and intimate wear for women; jewelry; personal care products; men’s wallets; baby swaddles, stuffies, rattles and teething toys; dog leashes, collars and toys; greeting cards and a wide range of home decor, the store is drawing people in.—
Sarah Kyrcz,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Princess of Wales is well-known for her warm interactions with kids, and one of her go-to moves when greeting children is to bend down to their eye level.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountering. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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