as in to happen
to take place
whatever befalls, we'll make the best of it and carry on
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Recent Examples of befall
That structure, along with other constitutional restraints, has enabled the United States to avoid many of the economic disasters that befell other countries.
—
Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
As the medical profession came to consider cocaine and morphine as equally dangerous, coca became associated with opium, and the public was led to believe that the ruinous effects of habitual opium use would inevitably befall those who regularly chewed coca leaves.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
As for what will befall patients at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, Gemmill gave CNN a pretty ominous hint.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Apr. 2025
Over millions of years, the planet's orbit shrank until doom befell it.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befall
Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
As the medical profession came to consider cocaine and morphine as equally dangerous, coca became associated with opium, and the public was led to believe that the ruinous effects of habitual opium use would inevitably befall those who regularly chewed coca leaves.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
As for what will befall patients at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, Gemmill gave CNN a pretty ominous hint.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Apr. 2025
Over millions of years, the planet's orbit shrank until doom befell it.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befall
Verb
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On Friday, May 16, the Idaho State Police (ISP) revealed the names and origin countries of the individuals who died in the May 1 crash, which happened just before 7:15 p.m. on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry's Lake State Park — about 16 miles west of Yellowstone.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
18 May 2025
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When this happens, passengers are asked to dump their drinks out in a dedicated dumping facility or throw the whole thing away into a trash can.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2025
Verb
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Witness testimony in the second murder trial of Karen Read will not occur on May 13 as expected, a court spokesperson announced.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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The climbers were in the area of North Early Winters Spire when the accident occurred, authorities said.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN Money,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befall. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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