chance (upon)

verb

Definition of chance (upon)next
1
as in to encounter
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face chanced upon my archenemy as I rounded a corner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance I chanced upon your mother in the grocery store yesterday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chance (upon)
  1. encounter
  2. find
  3. meet
Verb
  • One of his teams encountered thousands of these devices in Iraq.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • While Florida doesn’t offer the mountaintop vistas and waterfalls found in other states, there are so many trails on land and water worth exploring, with myriad flora and fauna to encounter along the way.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of encounter
Verb
  • Neither team could find a flow from three-point range in the first half as the teams combined to shoot five for 29 from deep — three of 16 by Golden State and two for 13 by Atlanta.
    — Janie McCauley, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Of the first 15 plays for the Dallas offense, 10 were on the ground, and the Cowboys found success.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The work is part of a broader effort to understand how eVTOL aircraft can share airspace and infrastructure with conventional aircraft while meeting aviation safety requirements.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Now parties must meet, bargain and seek a way to team up for at least 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
    — CARA ANNA, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of meet
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.

Browse Nearby Words

chances (upon)
chance (upon)
chancing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chance (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chance%20%28upon%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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