ENCOUNTERING Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

encountering

verb

present participle of encounter

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

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of encountering Seaweed and Closures Limit Beach Options Beachgoers across the region are encountering large amounts of sargassum seaweed washing ashore. —

Abby Dodge, CBS News, 23 May 2026 In one video, a battalion commander describes an assault that stalled after encountering a heavily fortified barrier. —

Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026 Thousands of Floridians are encountering significant obstacles when attempting to fill prescriptions as health-insurance companies increasingly deny coverage for medications recommended by their doctors. —

Joan Murray, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026 Others pointed to the fact that many visitors from the region were encountering an international art fair up close for the first time. —

Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 20 May 2026 In the very rare instances of direct danger, like encountering a particularly nasty beast with huge scythe claws, getting hit only leads to the screen fading out and Yoshi reappearing at the start of the stage. —

Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026 Thousands of fans have also been engaging with Nikki’s increasingly obsessive, unsettling texts, voice notes and special deliveries after encountering cryptic billboards across Los Angeles and New York, each featuring her obsessive messages alongside a phone number inviting them to reach out. —

Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Many adolescents are encountering videos or online discussions that normalize inhalant use. —

Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026 Scuffles broke out when groups of young marchers entered the Old City before the start of the march, encountering Palestinians in the Christian quarter. —

Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering

Verb

In Takedown, Hansen returns to the familiar interview format of To Catch a Predator, confronting and interviewing would-be predators for his own streaming network, TruBlu.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Magazine publisher Condé Nast settled a labor dispute with three employees who were fired last year after confronting the company’s human resources chief, paying $400,000 to the group and reinstating their jobs, according to a statement from the NewsGuild of New York.

— Liam Scott, Washington Post, 27 May 2026