as in to occur
to take place
did anything exciting happen over the summer?
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Recent Examples of happen
This happens from time to time in the NBA.
—
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
But some important stuff happened during the 40-minute blackout.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
But the facts of what happened that night remain murky.
—Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happen
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
But some important stuff happened during the 40-minute blackout.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
But the facts of what happened that night remain murky.
—Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen
Verb
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Yet key dramatic moments—a shooting, the robbers’ realization that the bank vault is empty—occurred in a hallway invisible to the audience, described secondhand.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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As a result, Towns triple-doubled for just the fourth time in his career, his second time with the Knicks, both instances occurring in games Brunson has missed due to injury.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Global spending on data centers could reach $7 trillion by 2030, according to McKinsey, and much of that spending can no longer come solely from hyperscalers.—
April Roach,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
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The victory appeared to come with a price as Mike Trout departed in the eighth inning after he was hit in the back of the left hand by a Casey Legumina pitch.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fans have proven over the last three years that there is an appetite for women’s hockey in Detroit, drawing 53,586 fans over four games at Little Caesars Arena.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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In antiquity, technology was literally demonized, so there was no stigma in positioning oneself against it.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The fact that the President is now signalling a messy retreat has nothing to do with insufficient lethality and everything to do with politics—in particular, the alarm in the global oil markets and the American public’s widespread opposition to the war.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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If a friend volunteers input, accept their assistance with gratitude rather than doing everything alone for the best results.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Happen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happen. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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