encounter
verb (used with object)
to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly.
had encountered
-
past perfectof encounter.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In earlier efforts to signal immune responses in plants, scientists had encountered a big problem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Garcetti positioned Los Angeles as a can-do alternative to the bureaucracy and resistance Lucas had encountered elsewhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Amor had encountered Owens before, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Those statements echoed the testimony of a farmer who had claimed years earlier that on an evening in April 2004, he had encountered a man driving a sedan with German licence plates.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
The cheap pulp tales enlarged my knowledge of the world more than anything I had encountered so far.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
