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
NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025
Robert Eggers first encountered F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu at the precocious age of 9 after seeing a photo of Max Schreck in costume as Count Orlok, an unauthorized take on Dracula who’s gone on to become as iconic as any rendition of Bram Stoker’s vampire.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2025
From adrenaline-pumping ATV treks and exhilarating zip-lining adventures to up-close encounters at the baboon sanctuary, their tours showcase the best of Belize.
—Kaila Yu, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for encounter 
Verb
The mayor warned that as well as the risk of accidents, residents may encounter frozen water pipes or fires caused by space heaters and chimneys.
—NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025
Robert Eggers first encountered F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu at the precocious age of 9 after seeing a photo of Max Schreck in costume as Count Orlok, an unauthorized take on Dracula who’s gone on to become as iconic as any rendition of Bram Stoker’s vampire.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
The incident resulted in new policy from the sheriff's office about how to deal with encounters where someone is legally armed, according to the internal affairs report.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2025
From adrenaline-pumping ATV treks and exhilarating zip-lining adventures to up-close encounters at the baboon sanctuary, their tours showcase the best of Belize.
—Kaila Yu, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for encounter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounter
Verb
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Contact our team or meet her today at Wayside Waifs.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
15 Jan. 2025
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Zoom out: The research on these goals is pretty clear: Firms that set them don't usually meet them.—
Emily Peck,
Axios,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Manoukian and his uncle found his grandmother and drove her to a nursing home in Highland Park that agreed to take in Altadena residents.—
Laura J. Nelson,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
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According to Rogerson and Barden, the truck was found with its windows broken.—
Graeme Taskerud,
The Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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Boulder is a hub for innovative technology companies, home to the state's flagship university and a microcosm of challenges facing the state.—
John Frank,
Axios,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Navigating the map from an overworld view, akin to looking at a tabletop game from above, leads to quicker, bite-sized skirmishes, optional short objectives, and requests from characters that build up your bonds.—
Diego Argüello,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2025
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There’s usually not even time for trash talk between opponents; that has to wait for the inevitable post-whistle skirmish.—
Mark Lazerus,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Meeting these expectations requires leaders to first confront their own assumptions about work, wellness, and performance.—
Tarun Galagali,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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The big picture: This is the second time in less than two years that Nashville has confronted a deadly school shooting.—
Adam Tamburin,
Axios,
22 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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Trees must be wrapped in burlap to catch larvae, which are then supposed to be drowned in soapy water or stuffed in the freezer — but the real solution is to simply wait for natural controls, like E. maimaiga, to fight them off, Dwyer explained.—
Tribune News Service,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2025
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Months before the rest of the city sealed its windows and fought to catch its breath, David was doing the same.—
Will Bahr,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Bobby Templin — whose hand was fractured in prison two years ago — admitted Tuesday afternoon to hitting a correctional officer during a January 2023 fight at the Idaho State Correctional Center.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Jan. 2025
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Even so, there is uncertainty about how quickly lawmakers will approve the boost for legal fights against the new administration.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacramento Bee,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near encounter
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounter. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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