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

That’s just the opposite of what typically happens at major market tops, when the timers exhibit stubborn bullishness.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

As this happens, the cancer cells lose some of their glandular characteristics and begin adopting other cellular identities.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

But he is adamant his previous spell should not define what happens this time.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

A more open question, though, is what happens when they seek out the media limelight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

“I might let go of my Corn Pops plans, but only if dinner happens to be jambalaya,” she says slyly.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold