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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of encounter
Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
The duo were left without a dedicated ride home after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that ferried them to the ISS on its first crewed test flight in June 2024 encountered leaks and propulsion issues.
—Brett Tingley, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Among them, his younger years, and first encounter with the spotlight.
—Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Plus, the Mule is likely lonely, having never encountered other Mentalics.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
The duo were left without a dedicated ride home after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that ferried them to the ISS on its first crewed test flight in June 2024 encountered leaks and propulsion issues.
—Brett Tingley, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
However, these two should only be used as a last resort and not as an alternative to common-sense approaches to bear encounters.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Among them, his younger years, and first encounter with the spotlight.
—Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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The Quilters meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
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The biggest thrill, of course, was meeting so many tax professionals (including current and former IRS employees), taxpayers, and readers.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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As Cincinnati city leaders consider new ways to enforce the curfew for youth who stay out too late, an Enquirer review of data found police across Hamilton County have been steadily filing fewer curfew violations over the past 25 years.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
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Search crews found Phillips’ Jeep crushed into the mud, but have not recovered the fire chief’s body after more than two weeks of searching.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Celebrity status became an advantage for these public figures when entering the courtroom and facing a jury of their peers, experts told Fox News Digital.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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The Trump administration had initially set Wednesday as a deadline for countries to make deals with the U.S. or face heavy increases in tariffs.—
Matt Ott,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Noun
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This is the third bench-clearing skirmish for the Angels this season, though none has resulted in ejections.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
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That’s right, the first camp skirmish pitted a pair of rookies, tackle Josh Simmons and interior defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, with Simmons appearing to land a right-handed blow to Norman-Lott’s helmet.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 July 2025
Verb
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The suspect allegedly confronted a female employee before attacking Assad and Mohammad with a box cutter, the outlet said.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
-
But last month, top economist Brad DeLong argued in a recent essay that the challenges confronting young job-seekers today are primarily driven by widespread policy uncertainty and a sluggish economy—not by the rapid rise of AI tools.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Even a brush from one of these storms can cause problems.—
Nazaneen Ghaffar,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
-
Use a brush if needed to dislodge anything stuck in those areas.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Verb
-
Chisholm was caught sleeping and doubled up at first on a ball that didn’t leave the infield.—
James Oconnell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Aug. 2025
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Fans can catch Snow in the latest American drama television series, The Hunting Wives, based on the novel by May Cobb, that premiered in July 2025.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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At one point during the fight, Jose punched Pamela in the face.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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The detective said Vernon was not involved in any of the arguments that preceded the fight.—
Enquirer staff,
The Enquirer,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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