happenstance

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.

What cemented his place there was half happenstance: his no-nonsense, on-the-scene reportage of the 1996 bombing at the Atlanta Olympics, which occurred while he was filling in at “SportsCenter.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

Marles had met Hegseth in August to lobby him on Aukus, but the latter's office issued - and later retracted - a statement saying there were no talks, only "a happenstance encounter".

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

I came to love fennel by way of happenstance; it wasn't love at first bite.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025

Other scientists must then replicate those results, proving that the first results weren’t happenstance.

From Slate • Nov. 14, 2024

One day, whether through happenstance, the hands on the clock, the phases of the moon, or some secret primordial plan, the moment comes when it is finally ready to sprout.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood