happen to

verb

happened to; happening to; happens to

: to affect or involve (someone or something) as the result of an event or action

An odd thing happened to me on my way to the office last week.

I wonder what/whatever happened to that guy after he lost his job.

especially : to affect (someone or something) in a bad or harmful way

I promise nothing will happen to you.

What happened to the car? There's a big scratch on the fender.

Examples of happen to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That happened to be Duran, who took third on a wild pitch and scored after Marcelo Mayer walked and Yoshida came through with the game-winning single. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026

Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and also worried it might be killed during capture, something that happened to a puma that escaped from the same zoo in 2018. —ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026

Sure, there’s an air of elegance that pervades with guests often embodying that quiet luxury vibe, but that doesn’t spoil the authenticity of the resort, which is a destination for those seeking a blend of sun, sand and sophistication—no matter what designer label your shoes happen to be. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026

Rodrigo is turning a new corner for her lead singles, which have previously positioned her as someone terrible things happen to. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for happen to

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue