happens

VERB

come to pass; occur

Synonyms

STRONGEST

appear arise arrive crop up develop fall go on hit materialize meet pass result take effect take place transpire

STRONG

befall betide bump chance down ensue eventuate follow issue light proceed recur shake smoke spring stumble supervene

WEAK

be found become a fact become known become of come about come after come into being come into existence come off luck present itself stumble upon turn out turn up what goes

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cease disappear fail halt lose stop

STRONG

precede

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.

See Examples For:

happens

Their findings reveal how insulin-producing cells coordinate protein folding and what happens when that system falls out of balance.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

But as a hospital-based pediatrician, I see what happens when things go poorly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Companies need to ask themselves what happens if their AI supplier vanishes or is ordered to cut off service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

But one question I’ve started getting from reporters is what happens if AI gets so good that everyone starts using it.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

There is no argument about what happens next.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman