Does the phrase "met fate" always refer to a death? And is it different from the phrase "met one's fate"?
to meet one's fate (end)
(phrase mainly literary)
to die in a particular way (BrE)
MacMillan
It appears to occur more in pre-1900 literature and decline in use after that, and seen mainly in historical accounts such as...
He met his fate with unostentatious fortitude ; and although few could ever think of justifying his projects or regretting their failure ; yet his youth , his talents , the great respectability of his connexions , and the evident delusion of which he was.
The Edinburgh Review: Or Critical Journal, Volume 33
It has been observed , that the spot on which Hampden met his fate , was the same where he had commenced the war by attacking the king ' s troops . It should be observed , that he was a kinsman of Oliver Cromwell , whose aunt his father ...
The Biographical Magazine - Volume 1 - Page 9
As Frank Herbert said in Dune, everyone's fate is the same; we all die.
I wouldn't use it in
if a person was fated to become a great musician, could I say that they "met fate" when they picked up an instrument for the first time?
I would suggest...
He met his destiny