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

There’s less evidence on what happens to people who lose health insurance, but the studies that do exist suggest that losing coverage makes care harder to get and harder to afford.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

So, what happens to these toxins when sleep is disrupted?

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

Second, kids wanted “player agency,” the idea that their actions change what happens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

This is exactly what happens, she thought, when you agree to play with somebody else.

From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan