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

She also knows that under the terms of the merger the cost of severing Wiatt would be $20 million, plus an additional $4 million if it happens before a certain date.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

And the irony is that this happens all the time, especially when the world goes through a regime change.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

These tests allowed them to examine the signaling system in greater detail and determine what happens when its molecular communication pathways are disrupted.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

In Chicago, we have a phrase for what happens to a hot dog after it has been loaded with tomatoes, onions, peppers and pickle: it’s been “dragged through the garden.”

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

“I guess what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic.”

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz