happens

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.

See Examples For:

happens

"When that happens, the only thing we can do is be patient. They're trying to provoke a fight or create a confrontation. They want to see how long we'll tolerate it," Mohideen explained.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Companies need to ask themselves what happens if their AI supplier vanishes or is ordered to cut off service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

"I have a lot of patience... We'll see what happens," he said aboard Air Force One.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

But here is where something extraordinary happens: A movement begins, both legally and corporeally.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

But what happens when she meets more people?

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila