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
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2026
On the planet, the Mandalorians encounter Gideon, who is revealed to have created clones of himself.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2026
Steven Gaydos, Variety, 15 May 2026
The first full tale is maybe the best one in the book, the Priest’s Tale, which explores religious faith and horror through a Priest’s encounter with a Christ cult that somehow existed thousands of years before Jesus’s appearance on Earth.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Shibuya, Tokyo will become a place where audiences can encounter the next wave of horror.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2026
On the planet, the Mandalorians encounter Gideon, who is revealed to have created clones of himself.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2026
Noun
These kinds of encounters become an everyday occurrence at the festival.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 15 May 2026
The first full tale is maybe the best one in the book, the Priest’s Tale, which explores religious faith and horror through a Priest’s encounter with a Christ cult that somehow existed thousands of years before Jesus’s appearance on Earth.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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China's exports gathered pace in April as factories scrambled to meet surging overseas demand from foreign buyers stockpiling goods as the Iran fanned fears of higher input costs.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Rafa starts to fidget around noon before mama is supposed to meet us for her lunch break.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Now, a new study suggests researchers may have found the first drug regimen capable of rapid and sustaining relief from suicidal thoughts across a broad group of patients.—
Ariana Eunjung Cha,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
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Minutes later, police also responded to the 3800 block of Salerno Street where, inside, officers found the two suspects dead.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Many have infinity-edge hot tubs—and the hotel is in the process of installing those in every casita—and all face the Sea of Cortez.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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Scotland is making its ninth World Cup appearance… Also, Haiti will play a pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand at Inter Miami’s Fort Lauderdale stadium on June 2 and Turkey, a USA group opponent, faces Venezuela there on June 6.—
Michelle Kaufman
May 15,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Forbes was taken down by then-Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay in the skirmish.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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Here are some photos from the second of three skirmishes in this always entertaining Show Me State clash.—
Jeff Rosen,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Verb
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One day, the crew was filming a scene at one of Christie’s fashion shows, where the Velvet Gang confronts its nemesis.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Despite strong critical support, it was allotted limited showtimes and minimal exhibition backing — a situation its makers came to see as emblematic of wider structural failures confronting Indian indie cinema.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Kreutzer cuts clunkily and repeatedly between the ongoing crises in two households, presumably implying that the men in these women’s lives are all tarred with the same patriarchal brush.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
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This pet grooming kit + vacuum trims, brushes and sucks up loose fur at the same time, so you're not left sweeping up Fido's tumbleweeds afterward.—
Trisha Easto,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Mauricio Dubón delivered the big blow on another Maton curveball that caught too much plate for a two-run homer.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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The pair reportedly were caught in the crossfire as rival groups of men opened fire on each other.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The fight will be contested at welterweight, and White did not clarify how many rounds the bout would be contested at.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Uthmeier has taken a courageous stand, and should finish the fight.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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