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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of encounters
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Border Patrol encounters along the entire southern border increased nearly 27%, from 4,596 in July to 6,321 in August, the data shows.
—David Ulloa Jr, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
First RoboGobo encounters a bat in dire need of a rescue.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 24 Sep. 2025
Lionsgate released a clip of the morgue scene where Maya encounters her deceased fiancé (Froy Gutierrez’s Ryan).
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
The lies begin as soon as Max encounters Guillermo, an arrogant nepo baby who blamed him for Ane’s death but now pretends to accept his apology.
—Judy Berman, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Moreover, large mammals are out and about, making potentially dangerous wildlife encounters a concern.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
The kid version of Mabel encounters the middle-aged versions of Oliver and Charles.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
When his many debts and checkered past start to catch up with him, Doyle encounters a kindred spirit who may hold the key to his deliverance.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Thai staff were reportedly shocked by the industrial scale of the encounters.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 23 Sep. 2025
The colorful Friedman was fond of telling stories from these encounters, like this one on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast in 2018.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
All tours and encounters at Growler Pines will be cancelled until further notice, according to the preserve.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
In the wake of Easley's death, the encounters have been canceled, and according to its website, tickets will be refunded.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Elsewhere, contemporary works hang in hallways and on bedroom walls, providing unexpected colorful encounters on one’s journey through the house.
—Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2025
Egan has a pantry full of stories about Donegan encounters.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
The royal family are responsible for the seating arrangements at the state dinner and appear to have tactfully seated the media mogul far away from the president to avoid any awkward encounters.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Close to breaking point, the man encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.
—Noun
People in the Sunshine State who have threatening encounters with the animals or who see them in distress are asked to call 888-404-3922.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounters
Verb
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Personal truth meets public image pressure.—
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Home Soft Things cotton set, which includes a duvet cover and standard shams, is gingham meets buffalo plaid.—
Verb
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From cozy home upgrades for fall to viral wellness finds and festive Advent calendars, the season’s top gifts are already trending—and selling fast.—
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Even Clove, with its bronze undertone, finds a way to make black shine a little bit brighter.—
Verb
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The Road Ahead With insolvency just under a decade away, Congress faces a narrowing window to act.—
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The suspect faces one count of felony terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder.—
Noun
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All these years later, Corigliano’s symphony has outlasted those skirmishes and emerged sounding fresh and exciting and powerful.—
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Although the Hatfield-McCoy relationship has been fraught since the birth of the medium, streaming and cord-cutting has turned financial skirmishes into an existential contest.—
Verb
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That empty seat marks the beginning of a painful estrangement, as Ana confronts loneliness for the first time, far from the protection of her parents and her closest companion.—
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Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.—
Noun
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Burnett remembers volcanic fights between Mae and Louise, who would accuse Mae of trying to turn Burnett against her.—
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Including preliminary fights, the event ran for nearly six hours.—
Verb
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Alphonse Pierre’s Off the Dome column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, scenes, snippets, movies, Meek Mill tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches his attention.—
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The 33-yard grab against the Giants is one of the most difficult catches a Chiefs receiver has made in almost a year.—
Noun
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Under his watch, the house of Vuitton tapped designers such as Pierre-Émile Legrain, Camille Cless-Brothier and Gaston Le Bourgeois to design objects such as crystal and silver flacons, octagonal brushes and vanity mirrors.—
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Wet styling Not all hot-air brushes can effectively dry hair, so they’re not designed for use on wet hair.—
Cite this Entry
“Encounters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounters. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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