hap 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈhap How to pronounce hap (audio)
Definition of hapnext
1
as in event
something that happens we must make the best of both the good and the bad haps of life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in luck
the uncertain course of events by hap and circumstance, he ended up as a cartoonist in New York

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hap

2 of 3

noun (2)

dialect
as in quilt
a decorative cloth used as a top covering for a bed the hap was a patchwork quilt that the old woman had made herself

Synonyms & Similar Words

hap

3 of 3

verb

as in to happen
to take place what wondrous events hath happed this Christmas Day?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hap
Noun
One false move can lead to trouble, and it hap-pens sooner or later to just about everybody who handles these reptiles. — Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026 Looking for a slice of hap-Pi-ness? — Allison Kiehl, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2026 Check out his latest artwork, photos and adventures from the past, and current haps on his website Cory Richards Dot Com. — Outside Online, 3 Dec. 2025 The stars of 1989's hap-hap-happiest holiday comedy have kept busy since that dysfunctional dinner. — Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024 The company didn’t appear close to understanding the nature of the universe, but per haps that’s coming. — Zoë Schiffer, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hap
  1. event
  2. luck
  3. quilt
  4. happen
  5. thing
  6. chance
  7. counterpane
  8. be
Noun
  • The stadium has been packed, the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival downtown has seen record attendance, and watch parties and other events have spread across the region.
    — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
  • The traffic control worker minimum wage, which only affects workers handling traffic at major happenings like concerts and sporting events, is more than $70 an hour.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of event
Noun
  • The group of death in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers wasn’t enough, because in Egypt’s next attempt to reach the finals in 2006, their luck put them in a group with Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast and Samuel Eto’o’s Cameroon.
    — Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • In retrospect, the result looks less like luck than like a compounding advantage.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • Made from fade-, pill-, and weather-resistant material, this quilt is built to last many seasons.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 July 2026
  • For bedding upgrades, snap up this lightweight summer quilt and these cooling sheets.
    — Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of quilt
Verb
  • This episode, Zack wakes up and bolts upright with the bandage still on his head from getting clobbered with a sign on his birthday and can’t remember what happened the night before.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 July 2026
  • This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026
Definition of happen
Noun
  • One of the most concerning things about the situation is that someone left such an explosive just lying around.
    — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • But working and maintainable are not the same thing, which is where companies start making very expensive mistakes.
    — Oleg Lola, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of thing
Noun
  • In addition, their style of play makes broad use of their outrageous attacking options, virtually guaranteeing a supply of chances for a player who can score almost any type of goal from anywhere in the attacking third.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 July 2026
  • Amid its six-shot flurry in the initial 10 minutes, Belgium created one golden chance that was a near miss.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of chance
Noun
  • Beneath wall text describing Báthory’s ghoulish crimes and her macabre punishment, bloody mannequins in nightshirts, one with its throat hideously cut, sprawl across a counterpane.
    — Sam Lipsyte, Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022
Definition of counterpane
Verb
  • There are nods to the environmental devastation wrought by the cattle industry that dominated Southern California in the first half of the 19th century, as well as the Faustian bargain struck by Indigenous people who converted to Catholicism.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • That match was held before the game in Kansas City, and each time Cape Verde scored, there were cheers from the Colombia supporters at Arrowhead Stadium.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
Definition of be

Browse Nearby Words

hants
hap
haphazard
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hap. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All