1
as in confronting
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 finding
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 facing
to enter into contest or conflict with
the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encountering
April 3 after a resident in the 9400 block of Parkside Avenue reported encountering an armed individual in his backyard.
—
Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Today, vaccine coverage is widespread enough that unvaccinated children can easily live to adulthood without ever encountering the virus, but not uniformly high enough to prevent outbreaks altogether.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
This first-of-its-kind attraction will take guests on an exhilarating journey through towering glaciers, vast tundra and the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean, encountering some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring wildlife along the way.
—Tracy Yochum, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
In 2022, nearly 10 percent of those who completed a visitor experience survey reported encountering a barrier in Banff.
—Lisa Kadane, AFAR Media, 1 Apr. 2025
Regardless of the outcome, encountering a breach of fiduciary duty is a powerful reminder of the importance of vigilance.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
That’s not so different from what your brain does when encountering another person.
—Scott Hutcheson, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Vulcan achieved its major objectives on that mission as well, according to ULA, despite encountering a problem — the failure of an engine nozzle on one of its two solid rocket boosters.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2025
This year, she's been worried about encountering protesters on the National Mall and was relieved to have avoided a demonstration by postal workers by a few hours the day before.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2025
Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Today, vaccine coverage is widespread enough that unvaccinated children can easily live to adulthood without ever encountering the virus, but not uniformly high enough to prevent outbreaks altogether.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
This first-of-its-kind attraction will take guests on an exhilarating journey through towering glaciers, vast tundra and the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean, encountering some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring wildlife along the way.
—Tracy Yochum, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
In 2022, nearly 10 percent of those who completed a visitor experience survey reported encountering a barrier in Banff.
—Lisa Kadane, AFAR Media, 1 Apr. 2025
Regardless of the outcome, encountering a breach of fiduciary duty is a powerful reminder of the importance of vigilance.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
That’s not so different from what your brain does when encountering another person.
—Scott Hutcheson, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Vulcan achieved its major objectives on that mission as well, according to ULA, despite encountering a problem — the failure of an engine nozzle on one of its two solid rocket boosters.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2025
This year, she's been worried about encountering protesters on the National Mall and was relieved to have avoided a demonstration by postal workers by a few hours the day before.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encountering
Verb
-
The world’s multilateral architecture is the best mechanism humanity has for confronting existential transnational threats.—
Allison Carnegie,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Any return to play in England would entail Henderson confronting the subject again.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Cleveland isn’t facing Utah (16-56).—
Zach Harper,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Many of the mobile clinics work in silos and Medi-Cal resources can be restrictive, with clients facing difficulties meeting criteria.—
Emma Hall,
Sacramento Bee,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This is an instinctive behavior due to their nature as predators, storing energy to use it later when catching prey.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The agency said gushes of water flooded downstream villages, catching the children who were fishing or doing laundry on a nearby river by surprise and also destroying agricultural equipment and killing livestock.—
Compiled by Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
arkansasonline.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In a photo of Francis greeting the royal couple on Wednesday, the pontiff was not wearing the breathing aid.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Promotional materials provided no explanations, and workers greeting attendees at the door with maps of the venue kept quiet as well.—
Justin L. Mack,
Axios,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encountering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encountering. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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