happen to
phrasal 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
The filmmakers were doing short films, explaining what happened to Israel, what took place, the atrocity.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 July 2025
She was kidnapped and eventually managed to escape, but would not speak about what happened to her.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
The economists Eric Baldwin, Takuma Iwasaki and John Donohue look at what happens to political spending in the wake of school shootings.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 8 July 2025
Liquid separation can happen to all yogurt, but the amount of liquid at the top of the container depends on the type of yogurt.
—Lauren Manaker Ms, Health, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for happen to
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Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 July 2025
She was kidnapped and eventually managed to escape, but would not speak about what happened to her.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
The economists Eric Baldwin, Takuma Iwasaki and John Donohue look at what happens to political spending in the wake of school shootings.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 8 July 2025
Liquid separation can happen to all yogurt, but the amount of liquid at the top of the container depends on the type of yogurt.
—Lauren Manaker Ms, Health, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for happen to
Cite this Entry
“Happen to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happen%20to. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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