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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.

Initially, police had treated it as a tragic accident that had befallen one of Spain's wealthiest individuals.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

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

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

In her essay, Schlossberg acknowledged that her terminal illness adds to a string of tragedies that has befallen the famous political family.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025

Sure, we can’t change what happened, but if we can string together enough clues, we can prove that whatever nightmare has befallen us, we could have stopped it, if only we had been smart enough.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman