happened

Definition of happenednext
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 That’s what happened in Game 3, as Denver largely kept Edwards and Julius Randle in check. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 That was a discovery that happened at the end. Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 Investigators said two sedans were driving south next to each other on Peoria when the shooting happened, causing one of the vehicles to crash into oncoming traffic and hit a pickup. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 But as long as people are uncertain about or dissatisfied with the underlying explanations for why an incident happened, Parsons says, telling them that staging was physically unlikely can just invite more conspiratorial speculation. Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026 Has a trial like this happened before? Will Barker, TheWeek, 23 Apr. 2026 The seismic swarm only happened after the magma had almost reached the surface. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026 Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who represents the district where the collapse happened, announced Thursday that the resolution to form the special committee was overwhelmingly approved. Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 Crash happened amid snowy weather The Colorado Department of Transportation previously warned motorists that winter driving conditions were being reported throughout the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor on April 14. Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happened
Verb
  • Preliminary reports cited by Mexican news outlet Diario Puntual indicate that a security guard at the building did not hear gunshots, adding uncertainty about how the crime occurred.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The earthquake's epicenter was roughly 41 miles west of Petrolia and occurred at a depth of 6 miles.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
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
  • Following Prince’s death, there was a two-year investigation into the circumstances around his untimely passing.
    Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • There was no immediate word on the identities of the perpetrator or the identify of the person who died.
    Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2026
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 25 Apr. 2026.

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