as in to occur
to take place
did anything exciting happen over the summer?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of happen
The break happened on a line on the exit ramp from Route 51 into the city.
—
Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on March 23, according to the Tribune’s archives.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
This is not what happens, thankfully, but for a hot second Paradise is playing on those fears.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happen
Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on March 23, according to the Tribune’s archives.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
This is not what happens, thankfully, but for a hot second Paradise is playing on those fears.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen
Verb
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If he was convicted, a jury would then have to decide whether Abril was insane when the park shooting occurred.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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While nickel alone tends to degrade quickly, the carbon layer protects it from damage while still allowing the necessary reactions to occur.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bunches of earthy asparagus stand at attention on market shelves come spring, primed to go tender and sweet without losing their sculptural beauty.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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The scorching heat wave, which began last week and brought dangerous temperatures to parts of California, Arizona, and other Southwestern states, is expected to expand east into the central United States in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There were 41 listings in the Charlotte area on the app as of Tuesday afternoon.—
Mary Ramsey
March 25,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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There are currently no traffic incidents reported in this area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After recently signing a standard NBA contract after starting the season on a two-way deal, Cain did a little bit of everything with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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After the pair were arrested, Haghighi also co-signed a letter of protest—as did Panahi, who, in turn, was arrested and imprisoned.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Happen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happen. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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