as in to occur
to take place
did anything exciting happen over the summer?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of happen
Three weeks to digest what happened over a frenetic weekend.
—
Andrew Rice, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Officials in Maplewood, Minnesota, said the suspect, shown above, in a hit-and-run crash that happened during the night of May 30, 2026, entered a Cub Foods on County Road B West a few minutes after the incident.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Condal also saw what was happening and felt despair.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 20 May 2026
Now, many residents and business owners along Grand Avenue feel like the same thing is happening again: major decisions being pushed forward without enough honest engagement from the people most affected by them.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for happen
Andrew Rice, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Officials in Maplewood, Minnesota, said the suspect, shown above, in a hit-and-run crash that happened during the night of May 30, 2026, entered a Cub Foods on County Road B West a few minutes after the incident.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Condal also saw what was happening and felt despair.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 20 May 2026
Now, many residents and business owners along Grand Avenue feel like the same thing is happening again: major decisions being pushed forward without enough honest engagement from the people most affected by them.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for happen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen
Verb
-
But one of the most consequential occurred when Black Americans decided to vote with their feet.—
Theodore R. Johnson,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
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However, acts of violence, property destruction, or threats to public safety – none of which occurred here – remain serious concerns and will be prosecuted when supported by admissible evidence.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
That coming Fall of 2020, universal masking in schools and daycares was recommended by the CDC and widespread mandates were enacted at the state, district and county levels for children as young as two.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
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Just before sunset, the room of mirrors and gold comes alive in the light.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Today, there are nearly 100 million people descended from those immigrants, and a visit really brings their story to life.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Then there is the activism at its most mush-brained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Rather than attacking all rapidly growing cells, as chemotherapy does, the drug targets a key cancer-driving pathway known as KRAS, which is involved in more than 90% of pancreatic tumors.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
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Ionic liquids are essentially salts that stay in liquid form even in the vacuum of space, which very few materials can do.—
Omar Kardoudi
June 05,
New Atlas,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Happen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happen. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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