come about

verb

came about; come about; coming about; comes about

intransitive verb

1

: happen

2

: to change direction

the wind has come about into the north

3

: to shift to a new tack

Synonyms of come about

• happen
• be
• come down
• come
• occur

Examples of come about in a Sentence

how did all this come about?

Recent Examples on the Web

The project came about when Jean was awarded a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in 1990. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

Like that series, the new one—which Sherman has uncharacteristically given an official title, Fabric Matrons—came about through Sherman’s own fascination with Chanel as a brand. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026

The validation came about two and a half years in, when Darlington put a prototype in front of the board. — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026

The new study comes about six months after the emperor penguin was declared an endangered species. — CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for come about

• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout
• dugout

Kids Definition

come about

verb

1

: happen sense 2

2

: to change direction

the wind has come about into the north