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
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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.