encounter
verb (used with object)
to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly.
was encountering
-
past progressiveof encounter.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Mr Oliver said the council's housing team was encountering about 60 cases of homelessness each week - which was "very high."
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
"At a certain point, she realised that what she was encountering could become her new role in literature," said Tetyana Teren, executive director of PEN Ukraine, a writers' association.
From Reuters ● Jul. 4, 2023
For Zhang, the group grew out of a need for a more supportive space than the ones she was encountering in creative-writing classes.
From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2019
A Santa Monica-based attorney and co-host of one of the events, Shawn Holley, said on the eve of Harris’ departure that she was encountering skepticism from donors following a flood of negative news coverage.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2019
While modern classical music had its challenges, older music was encountering its own difficulties in the twentieth century, despite - or indeed because of - an explosion in recordings in the 1960s.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
