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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen (upon)
Verb
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Domestic cats descend from desert-dwelling ancestors who rarely encountered large bodies of water.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025 -
Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
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With a black brace on his left arm, Steele met with reporters in the home clubhouse before Tuesday’s 4-3 11-inning win over the Colorado Rockies, publicly addressing his future for the first time since the operation.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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On May 26, the royal couple will visit a large park in Ottawa and meet vendors and artists, according to Buckingham Palace.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Happen (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happen%20%28upon%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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