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.

Knowing what you want is probably why you’re interested in LTC insurance in your 50s, when many other people think more about their mortality than what happens when they age and get sick.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

In his Boulder lab chock full of instruments, Kyle McMillan -- a PhD candidate in atmospheric chemistry -- is working to better understand what happens in the clouds.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

One of the most significant advantages of the system is what happens to the leftover salt.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2026

When that happens, he deletes records of the attempt.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

“That’s on the way to Celia and Stan’s. And as it happens, I’m headed there for dinner. We can go a little early and stop at Stephanie’s hair salon before it closes.”

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko