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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Instead, the analyst, whom the firm did not name due to the sensitivity of the activity, found that vessels are still moving through the strait, with traffic picking up in recent days to roughly 15 ships per day, according to the firm’s report posted on Substack.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026 -
Two dead sharks were found stranded on North Carolina beaches during Spring Break, and researchers aren’t sure what killed them.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In San Francisco, Louise encounters an influencer who asks strangers on the street to rate their happiness on the same scale.—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!—
Anthony Faiola,
Washington Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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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 7 Apr. 2026.
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