as in encountered
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
happened upon the hotel manager in the lobby and promptly complained about the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happened (upon)
Verb
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It is believed that a Dutch couple first encountered the virus while birdwatching near a landfill, where rodents likely were.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026 -
At that time, the two officers at the front door forced entry into the home and encountered an adult male covered in blood and armed with a knife.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Somewhere between Pomp and Circumstance and the president’s closing remarks, more than one commencement speaker this year mentioned artificial intelligence — and met a barrage of boos.—
Ann Kirschner,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Each with a bespoke gentleness to their rhythms, these newest works by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Koji Fukada, and grand master Hirokazu Koreeda have been met with differing degrees of enthusiasm, per the many critics’ grids floating around.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Happened (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happened%20%28upon%29. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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