befallen

VERB

happen to; take place

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ensue materialize transpire

STRONG

action bechance betide break chance cook develop fall follow gel go hap happen jell occur shake smoke supervene

WEAK

come down come off come to pass cook up a storm cook with gas fall out go down

Antonyms

STRONG

stay stop

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.

In baseball, curses are no joking matter, and the Curse of the FTD Burger might now have befallen the team.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

The same fate could’ve easily befallen this movie, too.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

“This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family. We all recognize that and our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

"This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family," he said.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

Booth’s achievement is described in the Richmond papers as “the most deplorable calamity, which has ever befallen the people of the United States.”

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly