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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of encounter
Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Such are the chance encounters that many Oyster owners have experienced in the group circumnavigations that the British brand has organized almost every two years since 2013.
—Helen Iatrou, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2025
Trevor Hunnicutt, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The way their encounter ends is as random and meaningless as the rest of it.
—Boris Fishman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for encounter 
Verb
In its yearly report, the organization is legally required to pinpoint the top 10 most serious problems taxpayers encounter when interacting with the IRS, with accompanying recommendations for how the government and IRS can solve them.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Such are the chance encounters that many Oyster owners have experienced in the group circumnavigations that the British brand has organized almost every two years since 2013.
—Helen Iatrou, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government has regularly pushed for greater weapons support than Biden was initially willing to offer but ultimately did, leading to tense private encounters over topics including Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter jets and longer-range ATACMS missile systems.
—Trevor Hunnicutt, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The way their encounter ends is as random and meaningless as the rest of it.
—Boris Fishman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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The county Board of Supervisors, which met Tuesday for the first time since fires decimated large swaths of the county, gave the chief executive office a week to sketch out the details.Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
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This class meets the educational requirement for city and county urban chicken programs.Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That's where Joseph Keil found a skeleton in a sarcophagus filled with water, but for some reason, Keil only removed the cranium from the tomb before sealing it back up.Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2025
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The Packers offense got into a groove in the third quarter as running back Josh Jacobs found running room (121 total yards and a rushing touchdown) but injuries and penalties halted the momentum Green Bay was able to build.Matt Schneidman, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Swiss company’s share price has faced a volatile ride over the past year amid a rejig of its top management and wider fluctuations in the luxury market.Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
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Bondi has also faced scrutiny for her previous lobbying work with Ballard Partners, including for clients such as Republic Services, Amazon and Uber, which have been in the crosshairs of the Justice Department.Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ugly scene on a suburban street was a harbinger of skirmishes to come.Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
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Houston teammates then ran in to defend their teammate, as well, leading to a skirmish that spilled out of bounds while Lawrence remained on the turf, still on his back, as medical personnel tended to him.Andrew Greif, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
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People forced to flee their cars on Sunset Boulevard; sparks whipped by 80-mph winds igniting entire streets; firefighters hastening evacuations and confronting literal walls of flame; the smoking shells of homes and businesses.Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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The supernatural encounter forces him to confront deeper truths about urban survival and morality.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Grab an electric spin brush to effortlessly make showers sparkle.Shea Simmons, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025
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Use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner to suck up dirt and dust over all these areas.Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Having the capability of catching the Starship booster is crucial for SpaceX, giving the company a completely reusable vehicle that is able to fly again.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
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Betts, 32, ran to try to catch the ball, but Capobianco and Hansen reached over the fence to stop him from making the play.Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Set in the pre-Independence, the biopic talks about Savarkar and his role in India’s fight against the British rule.Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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The Fed dialed back its fight against inflation over the final months of last year, lowering interest rates by a percentage point.Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near encounter
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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