ENCOUNTERED Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

encountered

verb

past tense of encounter

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

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

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

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.

Recent Examples of encountered Volunteers encountered them individually and in combinations, including beer with cake and coffee with orange. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026 Working with other artists offers opportunities to exchange creative ideas, develop different sounds, and reach listeners who may not have previously encountered an artist’s music. — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 At least four flight attendants were injured when a United flight heading to Los Angeles encountered turbulence during descent on Wednesday night. — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The company gained lawful possession of the home in probate proceedings in the fall of 2025, but when one of its employees tried to take possession of it, the employee encountered Sguros, according to the affidavit. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026 The first officer to arrive encountered a man outside the apartment and a physical struggle ensued, according to Officer Danny Chavez, a Lenexa Police Department spokesperson. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 During one test, Claude encountered a page about an unsolved homicide that included a police department tip form. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 McClellan first encountered Solomon and her mother, Kanesha Jackson, in Hempstead, Texas, when the young rider was just nine years old. — Robert Lang, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026 Conditions such as weather, food availability and habitat quality encountered during migration can determine whether an individual survives to breed again. — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountered

Verb

The Ayers couple met Schubert at a 2023 cold case conference in Marble Falls, Texas, where the idea for the nonprofit took shape.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Brax Technologies The Wink can also wipe your data when a specific condition is met.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of met

Verb

Randsburg, which was once a booming California Gold Rush town founded in 1895, has seen most of its residents leave over the years.

— Joy Benedict, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
At the time, Truell hadn’t founded a company; but three years later, the venture capitalist persuaded her firm, BoxGroup, to invest in the Gen Z engineering savant’s nascent business.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of found

Verb

The group has faced criticism over its stances on various issues, including the wars in Gaza and Iran.

— Saige Miller, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
Jasarevic told Semafor that WHO’s $115 million budget for Ebola was 80% funded, while Fleur Vernat, UNICEF’s partnerships manager in DR Congo, said her agency’s response faced a 65% funding gap.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of faced

Verb

At least one witness told cops the teen was smoking marijuana on the train when Rodriguez confronted him about it, sparking an argument, but police have since discounted that theory, sources said.

— Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Seeman appeared to curse at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, and Hill confronted Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after being inadvertently knocked down.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of confronted

Verb

Her singing caught the attention of Abboud Saadi, the bassist for Lebanon’s most famous singer, Fairuz, who invited her to a recording session with Bypass Studio owner Ziad Rahbani.

— Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Following her death, Trail dismembered Loofe’s body to avoid getting caught.

— Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of caught

Verb

Pratt drew a leadoff walk from Steven Matz and scored from second when Chourio greeted Kevin Kelly with a two-out single.

— Steve Megaree, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Her announcement at the parliament in Strasbourg, France, was greeted with a standing ovation.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of greeted

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encounter

encountered

encountering

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Style

“Encountered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountered. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of encountered

verb

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