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

"The Pacific Islands Forum determines what happens here, not any other country."

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Scientists are still working out exactly how much each factor contributes, but the result is clear: the background climate in which British weather happens is getting warmer.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Powell still gets to vote on what happens next.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

If that happens, he said, “the world will be fragmented, and it’ll be very dangerous for us.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Yes, it breaks my heart into a million pieces to say this, but I know it happens.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler