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
David Cuillier, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
Sanders encountered more adversity in his second season with the Panthers.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2025
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025
Christian and Brax, estranged for nearly a decade for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear, find their way back to one another through a series of charming encounters.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
One reporter encountered Miami city commissioners sworn in at a private ceremony.
—David Cuillier, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
Sanders encountered more adversity in his second season with the Panthers.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
According to police reports, as the initial encounter with Bowen was unfolding, Detective Joseph Walsh drove to Magnolia Street and got out of his car.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025
Christian and Brax, estranged for nearly a decade for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear, find their way back to one another through a series of charming encounters.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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San Diego college basketball teams are meeting the moment and making history.—
Kate Murphy,
Axios,
17 Mar. 2025
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Yet, despite its importance, the world's largest copper mines in regions like Chile, Peru and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are struggling to meet demand amid a global shortage, all while grappling with escalating environmental concerns.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The prior-generation Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive, the Long-Range All-Wheel Drive, and Performance All-Wheel Drive are only found on the inventory page now – where they are being heavily discounted in some cases.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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Many focused on the birdies and course-tying score, but leave it up to golf stat guru Justin Ray to find another impressive stat to pile onto Thomas' performance.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The company also faced stiff competition from the likes of Shein and Temu, which churn out trendy items that are cheaper than what Forever 21 offers.—
Michelle Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
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In the next round, the Gamecocks could face one of the most potent 3-point shooting teams in the country regardless of who wins the No. 8 versus No. 9 game.—
Mark Schindler,
The Athletic,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The clashes are a sign of growing tensions at the Lebanon-Syria border, northeast of the Beqaa valley, where predominantly Shiite Lebanese villages have seen skirmishes with Syrian soldiers in recent weeks.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
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After his skirmish with Diarra, Neal waved his arms to fire up Creighton fans in the sellout crowd.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In fact, Maron used almost everything in his life to confront this loss.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Mar. 2025
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Keating, 72, quickly interrupted McBride to confront Self, insisting that the chairman repeat his introduction of their colleague.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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What To Do: Use a stiff drain brush and enzymatic drain cleaner to clear out sludge.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2025
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The vacuum also converts into a handheld device and is great for quickly cleaning above-floor messes and includes a crevice tool and dust brush to target zones like stairs, curtains, and upholstery.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Gordon did score Newcastle’s second goal that night, when Quansah’s lack of familiarity with the role caught him out.—
Andy Jones,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Pursue in order to catch.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Gibson notably was seen just this weekend alongside FBI Director Kash Patel attending a UFC fight in Las Vegas.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2025
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One of the mysteries of the UFC’s 2025 fight calendar has centered around Dustin Poirier’s retirement fight.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
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