1
as in met
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 found
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
3
as in faced
to enter into contest or conflict with
the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encountered
It is believed that a Dutch couple first encountered the virus while birdwatching near a landfill, where rodents likely were.
—
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
At that time, the two officers at the front door forced entry into the home and encountered an adult male covered in blood and armed with a knife.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Waymo vehicles have encountered issues in South Florida several times this year, according to reporting by NBC — most recently, video appeared to show a Waymo lingering outside a condo community, and the Miami Sheriff's Office said the unoccupied autonomous vehicle hit a guard gate barrier arm.
—Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Time has slipped away as the launch team has encountered more issues; winter tumbled into spring, and now summer is mere weeks away.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
About the only trouble Schlittler encountered came in the form of a couple of sharp comebackers that dinged him on his left foot and calf before being converted into groundouts by his infielders.
—CBS News, 15 May 2026
Of course, not all care is good care, as anyone who has ever encountered a clumsy dentist will tell you.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The Marshall Project reviewed dozens of incident and offense reports and interviewed advocates, attorneys and individuals in Palm Beach County who encountered the Sheriff’s Office.
—Shoshana Walter, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
Upon arrival in the early morning, crews encountered heavy smoke and flames.
—Kayla Bartkowski, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
At that time, the two officers at the front door forced entry into the home and encountered an adult male covered in blood and armed with a knife.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Waymo vehicles have encountered issues in South Florida several times this year, according to reporting by NBC — most recently, video appeared to show a Waymo lingering outside a condo community, and the Miami Sheriff's Office said the unoccupied autonomous vehicle hit a guard gate barrier arm.
—Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Time has slipped away as the launch team has encountered more issues; winter tumbled into spring, and now summer is mere weeks away.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
About the only trouble Schlittler encountered came in the form of a couple of sharp comebackers that dinged him on his left foot and calf before being converted into groundouts by his infielders.
—CBS News, 15 May 2026
Of course, not all care is good care, as anyone who has ever encountered a clumsy dentist will tell you.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
The Marshall Project reviewed dozens of incident and offense reports and interviewed advocates, attorneys and individuals in Palm Beach County who encountered the Sheriff’s Office.
—Shoshana Walter, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
Upon arrival in the early morning, crews encountered heavy smoke and flames.
—Kayla Bartkowski, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountered
Verb
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California’s race for governor hit a critical moment on May 14, as the state’s top candidates met for their final debatebefore the June primary.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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King County took a similar approach, building ongoing provider partnerships centered on measurable outcomes and tying contract renewal directly to whether those outcomes were met.—
Caroline Whistler,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Two of Rubén’s older sons, who married Russian acrobats during international stints, broke off and founded their own troupe as Circus Caballero.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
Co-founded in 1986 by philanthropist and child health advocate Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and pediatrician and genetics pioneer Professor David Danks, MCRI comprises 1,800 scientists, researchers and clinicians.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Chelsea’s squad demographic falls somewhere in between but is probably closer to the former than the latter, and a football legend with his resume should not encounter the authority problems faced by owner BlueCo’s previous hires.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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As Spanish speakers, some of whom speak little to no English, the mothers on the committee had faced challenges in communicating with teachers, administrators and city leaders about their children’s needs.—
Mariana Navarrete Villegas,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit alleges the captain later confronted Steward and attempted to pressure him into taking the matter to human resources in an effort to influence the investigation.—
Ben Wheeler
May 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
-
Those leaders charged with deciding who is cut will be questioned, scrutinized and even confronted.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The Giants have not won at home in Week 1 since Hakeem Nicks caught three touchdown passes in a 2010 win over the Carolina Panthers.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Steyer backers Speaking of money, the second ad (or sort-of ad) that caught my attention is tied to Steyer, the billionaire who has spent more than $100 million of his own money in this race.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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You're greeted by an industrial space that's warmed up by wooden accents and sunny yellow accent pieces and of course the inviting scent of coconut curry wafting through the air.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
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The actors were greeted by the exhibition’s curator, Robin McClellan, who led them to Mozart’s childhood violin, encased in glass.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encountered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountered. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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