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
  • Marci McCarthy, second from the right, posted about the event on LinkedIn.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • But in 2024 and 2025, divers captured underwater video of two such events in the Mexican Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of California.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Definition of event
Noun
  • There’s the fact that the Red Wings never got much lottery luck — never picking higher than fourth, and certainly not getting the kind of breaks teams like San Jose have gotten in moving up dramatically in the order.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • During their meeting, Baracca’s mother suggested that Ferrari use the prancing horse on his cars as a good-luck symbol.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • Critics point to a quilt-like pattern of toxins, rather than widespread contamination, as evidence that the lead was likely present before the Eaton fires and could be treated with less urgency.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • Pair with an heirloom quilt to round out the design aesthetic.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
Definition of quilt
Verb
  • Streaming Changed the Game Perhaps the most striking shift from four years ago is what happened on digital platforms.
    — Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Then 2025-26 happened — a year where Hutson scored at a near point-per-game pace, improved defensively and was Montreal’s engine from the back end en route to a sixth-place finish for the Norris.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of happen
Noun
  • Legally, a token that tracks a company's price and actual ownership of that company's shares can be two very different things.
    — Mike Cahill, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • But, to be on the safe side, researchers decided to bring in a few of their key breeding stock — fragments of some of the last naturally occurring Elkhorn coral on the Florida reef — in case things get worse.
    — Alex Harris July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of thing
Noun
  • The rabid cheering section continued through the bottom of the ninth when Jo Adell came to the dish with the bases loaded and a tie ballgame with the chance to walk it off.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • This might be their best chance to win in the next few seasons.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 22 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
  • Given Nolan’s famous aversion to AI, there was a relief in knowing this incredible display of creativity came primarily from practical effects and shooting on location.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • There was no other contestant other than Burnham, who comfortably surpassed that threshold.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 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 25 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All