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

When that happens, there is naturally a shift to try and make that event "an occasion and a moment rather than a game," he adds.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

But what happens when the very existence of your twin is a lie?

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

But no matter what happens in the World Cup final, the biggest sporting event on the planet has already produced a winner—and it’s neither European nor Messi.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

“If we travel to the past, we become criminals. You know what happens to Butterflies who get caught.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin