as in to encounter
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
happened upon the hotel manager in the lobby and promptly complained about the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen (upon)
Verb
-
It’s been 16 days since Nancy Guthrie was reported missing, and investigators working the case that has captivated the nation’s attention are encountering a unique mix of challenges.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026 -
Troy’s resurgence as a girls basketball contender under coach Kevin Kiernan encountered a challenging checkpoint Saturday.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Palladium provides more generous guest access for airport lounges (up to two complimentary guests without having to meet a high spending threshold).—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Gilbert says that recently, someone told her about traveling alone in Asia and meeting another woman, in Thailand, who was also traveling on her own.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Happen (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happen%20%28upon%29. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
