befell

VERB

happen to; take place

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ensue materialize transpire

STRONG

action bechance betide break chance cook develop fall follow gel go hap happen jell occur shake smoke supervene

WEAK

come down come off come to pass cook up a storm cook with gas fall out go down

Antonyms

STRONG

stay stop

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:

befell

No other harm befell him or my little brother.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

There are allusions to the tragedies that befell him: the loss of a young daughter to measles encephalitis and his son’s near-fatal accident.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

Because, for veterans of modern warfare, the question isn’t how to come to grips with something that befell us in the manner of a natural disaster.

From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2026

She will be desperate to avoid the disaster that befell hot men's favourite Ilia Malinin, who suffered a nightmare last week, slumping to an eighth-place finish.

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

Both of Aurelia’s older brothers died before their father, one in battle, and one in mysterious circumstances, a fate that befell a number of heirs to the Caesars down the centuries.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks