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

For Sebastián Yatra, a miracle doesn’t have to be a grandiose happenstance; it can be a child’s smile, the perfect cup of tea or rain on a sunny day.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2025

This dish came about more by happenstance than planning, but I’m deeply grateful for that serendipity.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024

For, no matter where fate, happenstance, or wanderlust might carry her, Penelope was a Swanburne girl, through and through.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood