How to Use encounter in a Sentence

encounter

1 of 2 verb
  • The pilot told us that we might encounter turbulence during the flight.
  • We encountered problems early in the project.
  • Her suggestion has encountered a lot of opposition.
  • These are issues all phones with odd screen sizes encounter.
    — Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • But to be able to encounter that from the start and think, Wow!
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Made it through an intense life, or death, encounter?
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Utah would not be the first state to encounter issues with cannabis labs.
    — Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Oct. 2021
  • As for the trick-or-treaters who may encounter tuna jerky this year?
    — Liz Regalia, Parents, 17 Oct. 2025
  • That is the part of the job many young marketers encounter much too late.
    — Michael Wright, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Seavey wasn't the first musher to encounter a moose along that stretch of the race.
    — CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024
  • So our test is a bit tougher on these machines than the snow most users will encounter.
    — Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 2 Dec. 2022
  • Be ready to encounter some bugs along the way and don’t set the bar high for the camera.
    — Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, 10 Sep. 2020
  • There’s so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won’t heal it.
    — Nina Mandell, For The Win, 9 Apr. 2018
  • South Asians who now live there are forced to encounter them every day.
    — Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2022
  • Their bond is evident to the strangers who encounter them on the streets.
    — ABC News, 19 June 2026
  • Their bond is evident to the strangers who encounter them on the streets.
    — Fernanda Pesce, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026
  • The alert includes advice for drug users and those who may encounter them.
    — Terry Demio, The Enquirer, 30 July 2020
  • The last thing any pilot wants to encounter upon take-off is a bird strike.
    — Jenae Sitzes, Country Living, 3 Apr. 2017
  • The name leaves little doubt as to what viewers will encounter.
    — Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Even avoiding the worst of the ice storm, drivers may encounter snow or slush.
    — oregonlive, 21 Dec. 2022
  • The snakes are often encountered on roads at night; many are killed by cars.
    — Eva Flowe, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026
  • How could any encounter between two black holes produce the kind of light our eyes can see?
    — Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 25 June 2020
  • When muons encounter an object, some pass right through while others get stopped in their tracks.
    — New York Times, 10 Nov. 2021
  • Keep a bottle of eye wash handy and flush the eye when a problem is encountered.
    — John Gordon, Outdoor Life, 11 Feb. 2020
  • Are your goals encountering a wild card?
    — Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The plan encountered pushback and was shelved.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Say the main character is about to encounter somebody from one of those parks.
    — Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2020
  • Here are reminders on what to avoid if someone encounters a bear in the wild.
    — C. A. Bridges, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
  • One key area in which Britain may encounter this roadblock is fishing.
    — Bryce Baschuk, Bloomberg.com, 27 Jan. 2020
  • Legend has it that those who encounter him are struck by misfortune.
    — Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 30 Oct. 2020

encounter

2 of 2 noun
  • The tour boat had a close encounter with a breeching humpback whale.
  • It was her first encounter with cigarettes.
  • There was a violent encounter between fans of the opposing teams.
  • The encounter lasts about a minute.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
  • But the encounter didn’t end there.
    — Stepheny Price , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Here’s what else to know about the prime-time encounter.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Wyle says these encounters are a bit of a red flag.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Watch the full encounter in the video below.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Two men were left on the ground during the encounter.
    — Joan Murray, CBS News, 17 June 2026
  • Popov pulled out his phone to record the initial encounter.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
  • This encounter was at a neutral venue.
    — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • This could have been a fatal encounter.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Still, her encounter with the orcas stayed with her.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 1 June 2026
  • The encounter lasted less than one minute.
    — Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • All of the encounters were with adults.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The child wasn’t harmed during the encounter, cops said.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
  • Like any police encounter, this one was set off by a unique mix of events.
    — Brooke Jarvis, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2023
  • Thirty years have passed since our first encounter, and he is still wired to please.
    — Ariel Leve, New York Times, 17 July 2019
  • Video of the encounter spread online.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The close encounter wasn’t an anomaly.
    — Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Any encounter with the police, even if a refugee has a valid visa, is risky.
    — George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
  • During that encounter, shots were fired.
    — Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Nothing good is going to come out of an encounter with a tick.
    — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 May 2018
  • That one encounter, of course, didn’t turn things around for Spencer, his dad said.
    — Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Apr. 2021
  • But the officer said this was the first encounter the two had.
    — cleveland, 23 June 2022
  • How to navigate an encounter with the big bad wolf.
    — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • The photo was the first researchers had seen of such an encounter.
    — National Geographic, 11 June 2020
  • Their encounter will rouse a jumble of mixed feelings in both men.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Nov. 2021
  • The woman rolled off on her bike after the encounter.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
  • The key to getting through any shark encounter is to act like a predator.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'encounter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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