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

"You know -- what happens twice will happen three times," he said, using a Japanese saying.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

And it just so happens that major league owners could still be locking out players by the time the Irvine team opens play next May.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

“Because it arguably does need some change. But it can’t be too radical with it, because we’ve seen what happens when they are.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

But Levine says "it's not just about where you started, but what happens afterwards".

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

“What happens in the Arctic stays in the Arctic.”

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz