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
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 encounter
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
One common problem growers encounter is the wilting of plants and foliage.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 8 July 2025
This applies not only to physician-to-patient encounters but also to corporate leadership.
—Dr. Eric George, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Expect to encounter sweet discounts, prix-fixe menus, unique dishes and other promotions.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
One common problem growers encounter is the wilting of plants and foliage.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
Noun
A lot of health care providers don't know what their rights are, Gounder said, prompting at least some hospitals to offer employees guidance on potential ICE encounters.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 8 July 2025
This applies not only to physician-to-patient encounters but also to corporate leadership.
—Dr. Eric George, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
-
The contestants got to meet with their family members in person during Episode 34, and Chelley and Ace were sent home after sharing an intimate dinner.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
-
Kerrville County Commission is expected to meet this morning with a lot on its agenda, including the water supply.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Senior-level Secret Service officials knew about the potential threat on Trump’s life, though the information was not specific to the July 13 rally or a specific gunman, the report found.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
12 July 2025
-
Mexican authorities recently found 20 bodies, including several that were decapitated and four that were left hanging from a bridge over a highway.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The move comes amid mounting frustration with the country’s law enforcement, which for decades has faced allegations of abuse — including thousands of cases of a still-prevalent torture mechanism used during apartheid — and yet failed to reduce crime.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
-
Allianz’s Global Boiling report warns that heatwaves alone could subtract 0.5 percentage points from Europe’s GDP in 2025, with Spain facing losses as high as 1.4%.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Could a Stronger Federal System Have Prevented the Texas Disaster and is this even the question to ask? America’s approach to disaster relief has long been one of the recurring skirmishes in the larger political theatre of governance.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Yet Villa were short of cash and the lack of financial headroom brought skirmishes with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Those brave enough to confront the world’s irreverence with a stubborn, civil audacity.—
F. Willis Johnson,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
-
When wage garnishment begins, companies will be confronted more directly with the severity of their workers’ financial situations, says MacPhetres.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
With a soft hand brush or sponge, loosen dirt in a circular motion, moving across the wall from one side to the other, then moving down one line of tile and across.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
-
Clear away brush and dense vegetation to discourage coyotes from hiding in those areas.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The outsoles are made with reliable rubber treads to provide vital traction on slick city streets and beyond, and the sleek leather exteriors will remain in pristine shape even if you get caught in an unexpected rainstorm.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
-
So just mainly be ready to catch and shoot whenever.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Here, there was a much tighter focus on the individual pieces of research that had become casualties in that larger fight.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
-
Pledging weapons for Ukraine's fight appears to be the latest stage in this pivot.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share