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.

"I mean complete demolition by 12 o'clock, and it'll happen over a period of four hours -- if we wanted to."

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

A measles vaccination campaign was supposed to be held in April this year, "but it did not happen", Sajjad said.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

“The skunk at the party—and it could happen in 2026—would be inflation slowly going up,” Dimon wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

If all working Americans are going to earn at least enough to cover their cost of living, policymakers will need to make it happen.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

“And it can’t tell me when that might not happen either, on account of its having no hands. So it remains a possibility.”

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

happen

Example Sentences

Related Words