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 befell
The same fate, Al-Nabi added, befell the Gezira Museum in Wad Madani following the RSF’s invasion of Gezira state.
—
Eissa Dafallah, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
The effort was in large part a response to the catastrophe that befell Flint, Michigan, a decade ago when dangerous levels of lead leached into the city’s water supply from old lead pipes, exposing people across the city to the toxic metal.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Her father’s memories Bass avoided the pitfalls that befell her father.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
In any case, Carlson did not have the luxury of perseverating on what befell him.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Tragedy befell Turner’s family in 2018, when his mother succumbed to cancer.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
The same fate befell Quebec Amazon employees who unionized in 2024.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The answer lies in both its tactics and in the tragedy which befell the club over the summer.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
In this soft dystopia, our military forces will not be destroyed in a cataclysmic confrontation with the armies of Communism, as befell Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Eissa Dafallah, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
The effort was in large part a response to the catastrophe that befell Flint, Michigan, a decade ago when dangerous levels of lead leached into the city’s water supply from old lead pipes, exposing people across the city to the toxic metal.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Her father’s memories Bass avoided the pitfalls that befell her father.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
In any case, Carlson did not have the luxury of perseverating on what befell him.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Tragedy befell Turner’s family in 2018, when his mother succumbed to cancer.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
The same fate befell Quebec Amazon employees who unionized in 2024.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The answer lies in both its tactics and in the tragedy which befell the club over the summer.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
In this soft dystopia, our military forces will not be destroyed in a cataclysmic confrontation with the armies of Communism, as befell Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befell
Verb
-
The most serious mid-air collision involving the plane happened in 1966, when a B-52 bomber carrying nuclear bombs struck a tanker near Palomares, Spain.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The landslides happened in recent days in the Gamo Zone districts of Gacho Baba, Kamba and Bonke, said Mesfin Manuqa, the Gamo Zone director of disaster response.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Michigan attack The latest incident to grab national headlines occurred Thursday afternoon at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, about 25 miles northwest of Detroit.—
Daniel Hunt
March 12,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The attack occurred after projectiles struck four other vessels in Gulf waters, according to port, maritime security and risk firms.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befell. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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