ENCOUNTERS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

encounters 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of encounter

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

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

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

encounters

2 of 2

noun

plural of encounter

as in skirmishes

a brief clash between enemies or rivals survived an encounter with the school bully at the local park

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of encounters

Verb

Catton’s ecological collective occupies unused land to grow food, but then encounters a fabulously wealthy man with his own plans for the landscape. — Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 According to the company, if Fi0 encounters a task outside its existing capabilities, a human can provide a single demonstration. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026 In short, no one who encounters them is impressed by their capability or their intelligence, not even their own cats, and the only souls who seem to fully believe in them are one another. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Then slow weakening is forecast as the storm moves over cooler waters and encounters dry air and wind shear. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 Get our free Roseville email newsletter here Anyone who encounters a bear should avoid approaching or feeding it and give the animal plenty of room to move through the area, police said. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Near the end of the three-and-a-half minute video, Westbrook — who shares son Noah, 9, and twin daughters Skye and Jordyn, 7 with his wife, Nina — encounters an unfinished room of the museum. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 Coon plays Rita, a woman in midlife haunted by the weight of her past, who encounters magnetic young spiritual leader Ricki (James) and leaves her family to follow her to an all-female commune. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 The locations were transformed into a variety of settings, including ancient Troy, Odysseus' homeland of Ithaca and the cave in which the hero encounters the Cyclops. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Noun

For the newest campaign, Belle stars in a series of New York scenes — ranging from late-night taxi rides to chance sidewalk encounters to phone booth conversations — in which the right pair of shoes has the power to change everything. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026 In Mesa County, which includes Grand Junction, residents have reported 308 bear encounters, up from just 33 in 2025. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2026 But the friends also recalled chance — or more purposeful — encounters in the years since. — Ben Paviour august 17, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Tensions between the Syrian Army and the Druze minority in southern Syria continue to spark deadly encounters. — Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 As bears have become increasingly common in Connecticut, so have their encounters with humans. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026 Ruiz felt aggrieved at having these unendurable encounters constantly visited on him. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 In the wake of the latest road rage shooting, Fort Worth police are warning drivers to disengage from aggressive encounters. — Marissa Armas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 During the first two encounters, police said the man stopped to ask her questions. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encounters

Verb

This toilet meets Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for use and accessibility.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
While daytime staffing at its Sharp Mesa Vista behavioral health hospital already meets requirements, overnight shifts have been managed based on the number of patients in beds and on the severity of their illnesses.

— Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of meets

Verb

Protas sees plays that others don’t, and finds seams in the offensive zone quickly.

— Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Based on her own troubled adolescence following her father’s suicide, the novel tells the story of Ann, who, after losing her father in tragic circumstances, finds solace – and trouble – in the Manchester music scene of the 1970s and 1980s.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of finds

Verb

According to information presented in court Wednesday, McGraw now faces nine charges and 273 specifications involving 93 alleged victims, the station reported.

— Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026
As traditional luxury faces consumer resistance to ever-increasing costs, DeMellier offers design, craftsmanship, and value without the exorbitant price tag.

— Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of faces

Noun

The controversy is at once new and familiar, reflecting both the dramatic changes that the proliferation of AI has wrought on book publishing and echoing other skirmishes this year in which authors have been accused of using AI.

— Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
Frantic skirmishes between the family and the beast take place as the house floods, and eventually the invading creature is tangled up in a trap.

— William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

Verb

Before that, though — when Cooper confronts the ruler of the Las Vegas Strip, Robert House (Justin Theroux), in the penthouse of the Lucky 38 casino — what the audience sees is a giant, futuristic set piece.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Throughout the special, Scovel repeatedly invites his viewers to see his act in one way, twists the material back on itself, and then mock-angrily confronts the crowd for their inappropriate reaction.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of confronts

Noun

There is a lot of discussion about how far these fights have gone and what the low blows consist of.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
About eight fights broke out throughout the two-hour session, significantly impacting the ability of either team to get in as much quality work as expected.

— Jon Machota, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of fights

Verb

Tyler Clouse / Getty Images Earlier, Twins players and team legends also toured the movie site with several participating in father-son catches.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Be sure to grab a chocolate babka muffin and a slice of whatever the cake of the week is, as well as anything else that catches your eye.

— Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of catches

Noun

Hanin and Guariglia — who was at the time an attorney but has since been disbarred — had several brushes with police during their relationship, records show.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
Florida saw some tropical headaches in the years that followed, including brushes with Dennis, Katrina and Wilma in 2005 and the flooding of Tropical Storm Fay in 2008.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of brushes

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encountering

encounters

encourage

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Style

“Encounters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encounters. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of encounters

verb

noun

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