encounters 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of encounter
1
as in meets
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in finds
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 faces
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

encounters

2 of 2

noun

plural of encounter
as in skirmishes
a brief clash between enemies or rivals survived an encounter with the school bully at the local park

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 encounters
Verb
If your dog encounters a snake, staying calm and acting quickly can protect both your pet and the snake. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 21 June 2026 Police have advised that anyone who encounters Dobbins to contact their local law enforcement agency. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 An activity that may seem leisurely, such as swimming in a river, could end up more dangerous if someone encounters an unexpected rip current. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 June 2026 If the vehicle encounters environmental conditions that affect that single type of sensor, all sensors could be impaired at the same time, leaving the AV without adequate perception. — David Risher, Fortune, 22 June 2026 In the upcoming film, Couture, the 51-year-old actress plays Maxine Walker, a filmmaker who encounters a romantic partner in Paris around the time of her breast cancer diagnosis. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 During routine work, R-Noid can perform tasks independently, while remote operators can intervene when the robot encounters unfamiliar situations or edge cases. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026 This real-life event, along with her desire for more Black representation in the genre, shaped the book's protagonist, Harmony Roundtree, a young Black girl who encounters a ghost in Savannah and gets pulled into a mystery. — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026 Tucker, the Special Agent in Charge for Texas and Oklahoma, said visitors should leave with memories of Southern hospitality and brisket – not encounters with illicit drugs laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl. — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 20 June 2026
Noun
Crews with older kids will find lots to love on the island of Java, and enthralling encounters with Bornean orangutans via riverboat cruise in Kalimantan. — Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 June 2026 Because there are no cars in the town center, the environment feels peaceful and human-scaled, encouraging spontaneous encounters with neighbors and friends. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 The site hearkens back to Florida roadside attractions of the past but offers plenty of present-day opportunities for animal encounters amid a backdrop of tropical foliage. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Matthews works for Florida Shark Diving, one of several shark charter companies in southeast Florida that promise up-close encounters with some of the state’s apex predators. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 The June 14 shooting has outraged community members and prompted protests in the small town of Senatobia, where residents point to a string of troubling encounters with police in recent years. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Alberta Parks provided advice for bear encounters, including traveling in groups, keeping pets on leashes, carrying bear spray and securing attractants. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 The idea was for Carrol to become an eyewitness to the sheriff’s encounters with others in the office, to foil potential future allegations of improper conduct, Carrol testified. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026 Serious encounters with alligators remain relatively rare, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data, but there have been three attacks in the last seven days. — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounters
  1. meets
  2. finds
  3. faces
  4. skirmishes
  5. confronts
  6. fights
  7. catches
  8. brushes
Verb
  • What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
    — Doha Madani, NBC news, 1 July 2026
  • Patients will first need prior authorization -- prescribing clinicians will submit documentation proving the patient meets strict body mass index (BMI) and health condition requirements.
    — Sony Salzman, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of meets
Verb
  • If the judge finds there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, Robinson will be arraigned and enter pleas.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • David Andrew Morton as Lank Hawkins finds humor in the character’s unabashed anger.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Definition of finds
Verb
  • On Monday, McFarlane and two friends were outside the fencing, leaning against the metal barriers in front of the Department of Agriculture, which faces the National Mall.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Look at the racial hostility that Caitlin Clark faces from Black players and media members on a nightly basis.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of faces
Noun
  • Johnson brushes off the skirmishes, broadly speaking, as part of the governing process.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
    — Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 21 June 2026
Definition of skirmishes
Verb
  • While celebrating this enduring model, the nation confronts serious challenges and concerning efforts to suppress civic groups.
    — Michael Posner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • When ambitious young athlete Jamal (Stenline) enters her life and confronts the dangerous world around her, everything fractures.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 July 2026
Definition of confronts
Noun
  • Skoog said he was honored to receive Sayers’ endorsement, saying mayors are focused on delivering results rather than engaging in political fights.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
  • For five months, sentiment ran consistently negative, dragged down by trade disputes, NATO burden-sharing fights and the general friction between Washington and European capitals.
    — Frank Ahrens, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of fights
Verb
  • Kessler catches an empty side screen involving Anfernee Simons and calmly plays in drop, backpedals smoothly, slides laterally for a stride, opens his hips and tricks Simons to shoot before swatting it away with his left hand.
    — Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Any successful catches need to be killed humanely following strict state guidelines, as well as accurately documented.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Definition of catches
Noun
  • Hawaiian Tropic’s zinc oxide formula, a physical UV blocker, brushes on with a matte, translucent finish and leaves no white cast on most skin tones.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 1, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • From clever watermelon slicers to brushes designed to slide into tight crevices, shop more surprisingly useful gadgets below.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026
Definition of brushes

Browse Nearby Words

encountering
encounters
encourage
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Cite this Entry

“Encounters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounters. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on encounters

Nglish: Translation of encounters for Spanish Speakers

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