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

A cardiac arrest happens when an electrical malfunction stops the heart from beating and circulating blood to the brain and vital organs - often causing permanent brain damage within minutes and sudden death.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The recent run of luck and strong returns raises an important question, he said: “What happens when the inevitable pendulum swings back and even more expensive catastrophe activity returns?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The findings, published on October 8, 2026, in the journal Science, could help scientists better understand normal development and what happens when that process goes wrong.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Or “Life doesn’t stop because something happens to you.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

“That’s what happens in all the best stories for kids!”

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness