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.

The cases don’t cross-reference one another, as often happens when the court decides two similar cases in the same term.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026

“I know that those references aren’t really for kids, but what happens in them is funny anyway,” Coffin says.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

Being England Test captain can come with many responsibilities beyond what happens on the field.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

“What happens at the end of 2027, if there has been no other pathway established for Medicare coverage of GLP-1s for the purpose of weight loss,” says Cubanski, “is really a big unknown.”

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

Then Mr. Weiss said, "These are the facts, Bartok. What do you think we should do? Wait and see what happens? Gamble that you'll get well in a month or six weeks? What?"

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell