happen

[hap-uhn] / ˈhæp ən /

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.

It may seem like a great opportunity to get more transparency from these notoriously private firms, but the opposite is likely to happen.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

At one point in the Temple of Heaven standoff, an official could be heard talking about what would happen on that trip.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

This week in the Help Me Retire column, Alessandra Malito answered questions from a reader who was concerned about what might happen to her investment account if her broker were to go bankrupt.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

“And the event wasn’t supposed to be about you, really. But there you are, standing on a mound, the baseball in your hand, everybody wondering what’s going to happen next.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

I’d begun to imagine what would happen after the show.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

happen

Example Sentences

Related Words