happen (upon)

verb

Definition of happen (upon)next
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for happen (upon)
  1. encounter
  2. meet
  3. run across
Verb
  • Most of them joke about seeing smiley faces in public, like one user who encountered Verity on a truck bed.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Wendy Doremus first encountered Biggart through a cousin in the late 1960s.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of encounter
Verb
  • In order to meet 2026’s nostalgia quota, here’s a 28-years-later followup to the cult flop about margarita-loving sister witches starring Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
  • The league’s involvement with Highmark or any club is ensuring that all fields meet compliance before NFL use, right?
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of meet
Verb
  • In 2024, Mandhana set the record for most international runs across formats by a woman and then beat her own record last year—a feat that contributed to her being crowned BBC Indian Sportswoman of 2025.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 June 2026
  • The fan ran across to the three-point line where San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was standing, and appeared to try to take a selfie with the player.
    — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
Definition of run across
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.

Browse Nearby Words

happens (upon)
happen (upon)
happily
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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 13 Sep. 2026.

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