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Definitions

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.

Recessions will continue to happen because history will continue to happen.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Some devices ship with residential proxy software pre-installed on them—this can happen with certain low-cost video-streaming systems—and sometimes people download the code unwittingly to their smartphones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro is just over 42, young enough to think like this bathroom-fixated bureaucrat who doesn’t seem to think getting old will happen to them either.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

But unless it resolves the deeper contradictions — unless it explains not just what is happening, but why it had to happen and how it will end — it will not change the fundamental dynamic.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

I didn’t want any of this to happen.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.