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
Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2025
The Jane Doe also alleged Miller touched her genitals without her consent when the two encountered each other in public in Myrtle Beach in 2023, per the complaint.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
This also affects the design and difficulty of combat encounters, but for the most part, this saga has always excelled at playing by the same central rules as its 2D counterpart.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Verb
Their resulting three-dimensional map of the ISS’s microbial diversity, published on Thursday in the journal Cell, shows that this orbital habitat lacks many types of bacterial life that humans normally encounter and that may be important for our well-being.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2025
The Jane Doe also alleged Miller touched her genitals without her consent when the two encountered each other in public in Myrtle Beach in 2023, per the complaint.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
There was a scene during Tuesday night’s Concacaf Champions Cup encounter between LAFC and the Colorado Rapids that felt eerily familiar, one soccer fans across the world have unfortunately become accustomed to witnessing in recent years.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
This also affects the design and difficulty of combat encounters, but for the most part, this saga has always excelled at playing by the same central rules as its 2D counterpart.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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Avs looking forward Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland met with local media earlier this week and hinted captain Gabriel Landeskog likely wasn’t coming back before the end of the regular season.—
Pierre LeBrun,
The Athletic,
5 Mar. 2025
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Unlike a year ago in February, when the teams met in uptown, Seth Curry wasn’t relegated to joining father Dell Curry as a guest analyst in the FanDuel Sports Southeast booth because of an injury.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Around the world, the evidence for the value of social progress is conclusive: McKinsey’s global research found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability.—
Paul Klein,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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In several respects, the survey found that Sacramento adults were less religious than Americans as a whole.—
Phillip Reese,
Sacramento Bee,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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To apply, Roach recommends mixing a few drops with your daily moisturizer or face sunscreen.—
April Benshosan,
Glamour,
5 Mar. 2025
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But no company has faced as fierce a blowback from DEI supporters as Target.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Musk’s latest statement marks yet another escalation in the ongoing skirmish.—
Dimitar 'Mix' Mihov,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
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As per an incident report obtained by the Miami Herald, multiple guests eventually joined in the skirmish at Manor Complex entertainment complex in Wilton Manors in the early hours of Jan. 26.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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They were reported for confronting community members at 11 businesses.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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The 79-year-old Oscar winner embraces the challenging role of the Dutton family matriarch alongside co-star Harrison Ford, confronting everything from mountain lions to the harsh realities of frontier life.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The process of carefully removing the fossil from its rocky entombment involved freeing each fragment from a matrix of friable sediment using fine tools like dental picks and soft brushes, all while battling gusting sea winds and intermittent rain that threatened to compromise the fragile remains.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Twigs can be found in your yard under trees, especially after windy days, in brush piles, or while doing spring yard cleanup.—
Anne Readel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Attendees pose in front of Halloween decorations, then scramble to catch a photo beneath artificial snow nearby.—
Julius Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
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Florida Dolphin Found 'In Distress' Later Diagnosed with Bird Flu, Study Finds Colleen Talty, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, also told the AP that many people come to Monterey from all over the world to try to catch a glimpse of the elusive northern right whale dolphin.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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His childhood was turbulent—his parents' frequent fights sometimes turned physical, with his father directing his frustrations at young Gene.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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Their responses indicate a lengthy fight to come over the budget resolution.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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