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.

I put forward two ways this could happen under the new tax law, one each for hourly and salaried workers.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

If we create quality content that people want to watch and create quality experiences that people are engaged with, good things happen, and these brands will resonate and will be here for years to come.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

“Because we literally said that this was the risk, this was likely to happen, and our concerns were kind of ignored.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

"But we remain committed to bringing this product as soon as possible," Arès said, adding that the company had experts working on identifying ways to make that happen.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

“I’m glad now that it didn’t happen, but I hate that I was taken in by such a cad.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

happen

Example Sentences

Related Words