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

Decades of research show what happens when people gain insurance coverage.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

The atmosphere right now is hopeful, with one senior figure telling me the optimism around Burnham "feels like a family wedding but it depends what happens after. Andy can't just give the love to everyone".

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

“You can’t describe the feelings because everything happens so fast,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

What happens when you launch a 671-hp Bentley up the Duke of Richmond’s treacherous driveway?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

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

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz