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.

Kurtz said the evacuations were a precautionary measure, “so if anything bad were to happen, we’re dealing with property damage and not life safety.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

"We spend our days shut in, alone with our thoughts, our problems, and the constant worry about what's going to happen to us."

From BBC • May 22, 2026

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

From Slate • May 21, 2026

The question for bond markets isn’t why yields rose so much in the past week, but why this didn’t happen sooner.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

“And more. You’ve had a narrow escape. You’re one lucky boy. What if the fire had spread into that sugarbush grove? Do you happen to recall whose particular grove that is?”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

happen

Example Sentences

Related Words