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

The problem surrounds what happens next - when the system fails and control of the line shifts to manual.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

“When an attack happens, those relationships need to work in minutes, not days,” Chen says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

The DC Universe’s Batman hasn’t been cast yet, but James Gunn says “it won’t be too long” until it happens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The week ahead will be challenging week, no matter what happens.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

“I—I overheard our moms talking about it. About some of the stuff your Mom said happens there. And…” Eddie tugs and pulls on the sleeve of her sweater.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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