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.

Was Married at First Sight UK an accident waiting to happen?

From BBC • May 20, 2026

The chip stock rally has been so explosive that this sort of pullback was always likely to happen.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

However, the adoption of millet did not happen alongside major genetic changes, indicating local populations embraced the new crop without large scale population turnover.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

One thing I never thought would happen was that I’d show movies that came out in the past 25 years.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

I tell her things I’ve wanted to tell her for years but was always afraid to, for fear of what would happen if he found out I’d spilled his secrets.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

happen

Example Sentences

Related Words