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
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Lily and the other sheep encounter some scary dogs one night, and there are a few tussles between both human and animal characters.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Katie Langford, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
The mystery even got the attention of the FBI, which agreed in 1976 to examine 15 hair samples taken from a reported Bigfoot encounter in Oregon.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
As the slime stretches through the air and encounters mechanical stress, those nanoglobules begin to reorganize.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Lily and the other sheep encounter some scary dogs one night, and there are a few tussles between both human and animal characters.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Noun
No police officers were injured during the encounter, which is being investigated by the Seventh Judicial District Critical Incident Team.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
The mystery even got the attention of the FBI, which agreed in 1976 to examine 15 hair samples taken from a reported Bigfoot encounter in Oregon.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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Yet such gestures failed to meet the scale of the problem.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Trump is meeting Xi for the first time since taking office for his second term, following months of growing tension between both countries.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
Verb
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For instance, researchers found that rapid urbanization and electrification across Asia drove brightening in cities from China to India to Sub-Saharan Africa.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Business travelers will find this especially frustrating, as even VPNs usually can’t break through these restrictions in the capital.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The delay would affect low-income areas with scant resources and other neighborhoods facing challenges like high wildfire risk, historic structures or vulnerability to sea-level rise.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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But as with other collectibles markets, buyers face a multitude of risks in this off-piste asset class.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The May 9 event was shaken the day before by a political skirmish that, for the first time, spilled into the proceedings.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
10 May 2026
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Reigns tried to avoid it during their skirmish on Monday.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Galvin later confronted the man who had messaged Kianna, who told her several different stories, according to Childs’ report.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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But activists say Beijing is becoming less willing to release prisoners who have confronted it over human rights.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The product is easy to use and far simpler than managing both a hair dryer and a separate round brush at the same time.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Some crews and passengers use vacuums, disinfectants and brushes to keep shoes and equipment free of bugs, feathers, seeds and microbe-carrying dirt, said AP.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
8 May 2026
Verb
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And Bona, a second-year reserve, got caught too many times reaching in the cookie jar while defending Towns.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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The Reds tied the game two batters later and then scored a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly to right field that brought Seiya Suzuki to the ground against the wall while catching it.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
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But with a lot of hydration, proper nutrition, and Parks and Recreation rewatches in her down time, it’s made for an easy recovery routine for Rooney as the Frost fight to stay alive in the playoffs.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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The drive to pass a post-production tax credit bill in the California legislature received a boost Friday night when the California Post Alliance announced that the Television Academy has joined the fight.—
Jon Burlingame,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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