Synonyms of encountering

encountering

verb

present participle of encounter

1

as in confronting

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

• confronting
• meeting
• catching
• greeting
• happening (upon)
• running into
• stumbling (upon)
• facing
• running across
• bumping into
• running upon
• accosting
• crossing paths (with)
• chancing (upon)
• saluting
• crossing
• passing
• crisscrossing
• crashing (into)
• colliding (with)
• hitting (upon)
• tumbling (to)
• lighting (upon)
• reencountering
• remeeting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoiding
• escaping
• shaking
• evading
• dodging
• eluding
• shunning
• ducking

2

as in finding

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

• finding
• meeting
• facing
• running against
• hitting (upon)
• happening (on or upon)
• discovering
• confronting
• stumbling (on or onto)
• running into
• lighting (on or upon)
• coming across
• tumbling (upon)
• pitching (upon)
• running across
• bumping into
• running upon
• chancing (upon)
• lucking (out, on, onto, or into)
• turning up
• striking

3

as in facing

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

• facing
• meeting
• engaging
• battling
• fighting
• taking on
• opposing
• emulating
• contending
• rivaling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escaping
• evading
• retreating
• eluding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of encountering

Some brands had already weathered payment problems leading up to Neiman Marcus’s 2020 bankruptcy before encountering Saks Global’s more recent troubles. — Rachel Felder, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026

Sometimes, encountering darkness in fiction or in a history or in another’s life becomes an unexpected opportunity for release, for catharsis, for focusing one’s energy elsewhere. — Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Travelers shopping for holiday flights already are encountering the highest airfares in a decade, travel-booking company Hopper said in a report published the same day. — Rio Yamat, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

How Regulation Will Shape The Winners The history of fintech is replete with businesses that grew quickly before encountering regulatory obstacles. — Antoine Sallis, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

The idea is to hold recurring shows where audiences can become invested in individual wrestlers, rivalries and stories rather than encountering lucha only at an occasional cultural festival. — Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Longwell critiques Democrats with the advantage of not being one herself, encountering them more the way independent swing voters do. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

What to Do Follow these steps when encountering a baby bear in your yard. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026

Working closely with its wholesale technology team, Arc’teryx refined its order workflows, gathered feedback directly from dealers and observed the buying process to understand where retailers were encountering obstacles. — Advertorial, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026