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
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
At Delta State University on Wednesday, there were few signs of the tragedy that befell the campus this week and disrupted the beginning of a new school year.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025
Sadly, the midnight movie magic that befell me and my Long Treadmill compatriots will be gone from our city by then.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
But this preseason, the circumstances that so often befell a roster already too thin to begin with didn’t manifest themselves for a change.
—Howard Megdal, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
At Delta State University on Wednesday, there were few signs of the tragedy that befell the campus this week and disrupted the beginning of a new school year.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025
Sadly, the midnight movie magic that befell me and my Long Treadmill compatriots will be gone from our city by then.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
But this preseason, the circumstances that so often befell a roster already too thin to begin with didn’t manifest themselves for a change.
—Howard Megdal, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befell
Verb
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At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the property, and the explosion happened in an area run by Rio Ammunition.—
Isabel Rosales,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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That’s what happened in 2019, but so far Democrats and Republicans have shown little sign of getting close to ending their standoff.—
Josh Funk,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The earthquake's epicenter was located roughly 2 miles south-southeast of Topaz Lake and occurred at a depth of 8 miles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
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The attack occurred after a police chief in New Orleans was killed by four men near his home.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befell. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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