as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
happened on the filming of a movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen (on or upon)
Verb
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Fears that a serial killer is at large were reignited by the recent discovery of a body in a Texas lake, where 19 corpses have been found over the past three years.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025 -
If finding indoor shelter is not an option: Stay away from open fields, hill summits, or ridge tops.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Domestic cats descend from desert-dwelling ancestors who rarely encountered large bodies of water.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Particularly nowadays, as science becomes more open and accessible to everyone, such arcane vocabulary can come across as old-fashioned and elitist.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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Then one day, Miranda came across a TikTok video that showed a hairstylist named Carly, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, sitting in a salon chair while friends and loved ones each took a turn cutting a piece of her hair.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
2 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Happen (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happen%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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