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.

But what we know will happen, even if the box office ends up being less, we believe in these films as long-term players.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

If Richardson returning is going to spark a revival in Raducanu's career it would likely not happen over the next fortnight, given her lack of match fitness and a tricky draw.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

We don’t know what’s going to actually happen, how much they’re actually going to implement.

From Slate • May 21, 2026

A flight to the red planet now isn’t expected to happen in 2026, and the rocket still has many hurdles ahead of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

It was something dropped by a Butterfly to change the future in some way, usually by revealing something that was about to happen so it could be changed.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

happen

Example Sentences

Related Words