as in finding
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
the popular belief that Sir Isaac Newton hit upon his understanding of gravity at the sight of an apple falling from a tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hitting (upon)
Verb
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The grim news out of Tucson is that, thirteen days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, the odds of finding her alive have been dropping by the hour.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026 -
The impact is expected to hit the bottom of the employment pyramid hardest, with research finding big drops in hiring among 22- to 25-year-olds in tech and customer service, The Economist reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Upon arrival, crews found light smoke conditions at a single-family residence, quickly encountering increasing smoke coming from a second-floor bedroom, the news release said.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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The latter sees a faded star eyeing a possible comeback and encountering all sorts of ghosts from his past.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hitting (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hitting%20%28upon%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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