happened

past tense of happen

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of happened And they’re not allowed to do that because of what happened (on Olivier’s hit). Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 This happened when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year. Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025 But that this fiasco happened at all is a sign of how much Americans’ desire to optimize their rest has grown—along with the market to sate that desire. Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025 That had never happened before. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025 That happened in my own family. J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025 This isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the tri-state area. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025 This isn't the first time, and certainly won't be the last, as it's happened with multiple head coaches in the past few years who had the top pick in the previous draft. Jon Conahan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025 Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happened
Verb
  • At the time, many bettors turned to social media to say that something shady occurred regarding prop bets involving his stats for that night.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Many believe the increase has occurred within both the left and the right.
    NPR, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That came just a few days after news broke that Palantir had secured a $10 billion contract from the US Army over the next decade.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
  • All five of Bednar’s outs came via strikeout on Wednesday.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • There was a distinct set of tales dealing with demons who collected idle chatter in churches, and, over time, these stories were folded into the expanding legend of Tutivillus.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
  • There was a lot of nervous smiling.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, nor did HUD officials.
    Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The two men then said Smollett paid them to stage the attack, and Smollett was charged with filing a false police report; the charges were later dropped after Smollett paid a fine and did community service.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Happened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happened. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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