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
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 July 2026
One Maryland family of five was left paying $13,000 out of pocket after their dogs encountered a rabid raccoon, 12 on Your Side reports.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
2 July 2026
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Those records don't matter anymore, and a place in the Round of 16 awaits the winner of today's encounter.
—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Turistas followed a group of American tourists who encounter an organ trafficking operation while backpacking in Brazil.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 July 2026
One Maryland family of five was left paying $13,000 out of pocket after their dogs encountered a rabid raccoon, 12 on Your Side reports.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
2 July 2026
Noun
The encounter began after Officer Yasmani Gonzalez attempted to stop Calvo for making a left turn from a lane designated for right turns only.
—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Those records don't matter anymore, and a place in the Round of 16 awaits the winner of today's encounter.
—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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The pair met in English class on the first day of their freshman year.
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The platform is scalable and can be deployed to meet the power demands of AI data centers and even support the grid.
Verb
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Gas stations across Russia are imposing limits on purchases, CNN’s analysis found, with fuel- tracking websites popping up to guide drivers to the best spots to fill up.
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The incident happened less than a week after another child was found dead inside a car at a Plantation early learning center last Monday.
Verb
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But the court also said the people facing deportation must pursue their cases individually where they are being held, under what are called habeas petitions, rather than collectively, under what is called a class action.
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The University of California Health system and Cigna, facing a July 1 deadline to reach a new contract covering a large group of Sacramento-area patients, have agreed to an extension to allow more time for negotiations.
Noun
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The skirmishes date back to shortly after Haaland’s arrival at Manchester City in July 2022.
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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham’s point toward Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner amid a heated skirmish during their game has gone mega viral.
Verb
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The episode ends with a heated exchange where Corlys confronts Rhaenyra for publicly styling his son as Addam of Hull, declining his request for his son to be acknowledged as a Velaryon by the crown.
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Rhaenyra realizes that she’s been played and confronts the child.
Noun
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The commission said there were four reports of consumers seeking medical treatment after swallowing the metal bristles, and customers were advised to stop using the products and request a replacement nylon grill brush.
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That tiny brush off his head – maybe even just the tips of his hair – meant Pašalić was offside and the goal was rightly ruled out.
Verb
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One villager had been bitten and is being treated in hospital, while a dozen locals had formed a team to catch the snakes, the Hongxing report said.
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But the rally ended when Hernández’s liner up the middle landed in the glove of Rockies right-hander Jimmy Herget, who just entered the game, catching Kyle Tucker off first base for a double play.
Noun
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What is clear is that centrist Democrats haven’t mounted much of a fight.
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Railing against a new crop of progressive candidates has emerged as a more animating focus for a president who thrills to a fight.
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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