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

And that moment only happens once, so it felt appropriate to honor it at 25,” bassist Rick Burch said backstage before the band’s Brooklyn tour stop in June.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

"It always happens in other markets. But I want to keep my good players. I'm looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here."

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Plus, what happens when you give an AI agent access to your passwords, tech executives fear for their lives amid AI backlash, how not to charge your phone, and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

"And every time that happens, the star gets a little kick in the opposite direction. Like Newton said, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

This is exactly what happens, she thought, when you agree to play with somebody else.

From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan