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

It is one thing to report on what happens to women like Tierra Walker.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

One such risk is what happens if the big bets being made on AI don't pay off.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

What has been less clear is why this happens and whether the vascular damage contributes directly to the disease.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

However, there is a clear line between being angry about what happens on the racetrack and allowing that frustration to become physical.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

“I—I overheard our moms talking about it. About some of the stuff your Mom said happens there. And…” Eddie tugs and pulls on the sleeve of her sweater.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy