happen

[hap-uhn] / ˈhæp ən /

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.

This type of criminality "makes people lose faith, not just in their local area but in democracy, in what our country is, and we can't let that happen", she added.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

As for the future, Clemetson said Terrible’s was in the process of reacquiring a gaming license for Primm, which he hoped would happen in the next three weeks.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

"But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this trust litigation."

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

In part due to the explosion, AST expects a three- to six-month delay in launching its commercial service, which could now happen in the first half of 2027 according to William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Before then she was only able to see things that would happen that day, and it has been the same for me.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

happen

Example Sentences

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