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Definitions

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 don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

"It will happen, and there is a consumer demand for it."

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Should that happen again, Ellerbroek’s “best guess” would be for a brief rally in stocks until the next deadline, but he also said it “feels like we’re in kind of a never-ending loop with escalation.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

"They're quite wordy so you could argue that a lot of subjective marking could happen," Polley said.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

It was stupid, but I remember wondering right then if there might be something in this election, some way that things could happen, that would give me a way to do something she might notice.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott