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.

Published in Nature Communications, the study sheds new light on what happens when cells die and are removed from the body.

From Science Daily • Jun. 24, 2026

An even bigger test is what happens if the Federal Reserve starts hiking interest rates—a move that could bring back bad memories of 1999 and the popping of the dot-com bubble.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

“It all happens in the heat of the moment,” a midshipman told me.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

The ruling was one of five decisions the high court issued on Tuesday as it races to wrap up its work before taking a summer recess, which typically happens in late June or early July.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

When this happens, the area is declared an “open city.”

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly