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

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Mentorship gets portrayed as something exclusive—reserved for Ivy League networks, elite accelerator programs, or founders who happen to know the right people. Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 The next opportunity just happened to come in the form of an entry-level position with the Lions. Adam Jahns, New York Times, 2 June 2025 The object is releasing not only radio pulses but also powerful X-rays that NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory happened to observe. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 1 June 2025 What happened to Lilo and Nani's parents in the live-action Lilo & Stitch? Emily Blackwood, People.com, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for happen to

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Cite this Entry

“Happen to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happen%20to. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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