as in happened
to take place
whatever befalls, we'll make the best of it and carry on
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Recent Examples of befallen
The same fate that has befallen so many local-news outlets has neutered the TTT as well.
—
Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
That is the fate that seems to have befallen the capsules scattered around the world and at the MoMA.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2025
Of course, this is all assuming that the Buccaneers actually release Sanders, and given the wave of injuries that has befallen their secondary, that is no sure thing.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
This made many scientists confident that large catastrophes hadn’t befallen our planet in the past, and, thus, were also unlikely to occur in the future.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 7 Mar. 2025
Those words euphemize a cascade of traumas that have befallen higher education since Inauguration Day.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
Injuries have also befallen attacking stars Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Ødegaard this term, and the team didn’t recruit a goalscorer during the January transfer window—a tough market to find the right talent at the right price.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Nothing so dramatic had befallen me.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
In fact, the California counties most deeply affected according to the Senate dataset were in northern and inland parts of the state — suggesting the fate that has befallen Southern California could someday be replicated elsewhere in the state.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
That is the fate that seems to have befallen the capsules scattered around the world and at the MoMA.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2025
Of course, this is all assuming that the Buccaneers actually release Sanders, and given the wave of injuries that has befallen their secondary, that is no sure thing.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
This made many scientists confident that large catastrophes hadn’t befallen our planet in the past, and, thus, were also unlikely to occur in the future.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 7 Mar. 2025
Those words euphemize a cascade of traumas that have befallen higher education since Inauguration Day.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
Injuries have also befallen attacking stars Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Ødegaard this term, and the team didn’t recruit a goalscorer during the January transfer window—a tough market to find the right talent at the right price.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Nothing so dramatic had befallen me.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
In fact, the California counties most deeply affected according to the Senate dataset were in northern and inland parts of the state — suggesting the fate that has befallen Southern California could someday be replicated elsewhere in the state.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befallen
Verb
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Kirk assassination angers and unsettles leaders, residents The assassination of Kirk, which happened in front of hundreds of people and was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has in particular rattled the nation and drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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This is mirroring exactly what happened with Mugen Train, and those audience scores are currently sitting at a 99%.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This can be done through daily pills or monthly injections.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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One of those will be a new Dolby Atmos mix of the original album, done by James Guthrie.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, diminishing perceptions that a college education is very important have occurred relatively equally among both Republicans and Democrats, suggesting that other factors must also be at play.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The incident occurred just before half distance in the Zandvoort race, during the safety car period that followed Lewis Hamilton’s solo crash, with Sainz trying to pass Lawson for seventh place at the outside of the track’s Tarzan Turn 1.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befallen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befallen. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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