as in occurred
to take place
did anything exciting happen over the summer?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of happened
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on May 7, according to the Tribune’s archives.
—
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
This even happened in Venice, during the couple’s wedding celebrations.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 May 2026
Following the second incident in August, Doe’s mother received a call from KidsTLC saying that their daughter was hospitalized but staff didn’t know what happened.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
The crash, which happened the afternoon of May 6, shut down the roadway for several hours and remained under investigation the next day.
—Finch Walker, USA Today, 7 May 2026
When my mom got really sick in 2016, a bunch of stuff happened that changed my life.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
People often bring up painful things that happened 50 or 500 years ago.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
The team had the opportunity to win three consecutive championships — something that hasn’t happened in UIL baseball since 1988.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Neither Virginia nor Cameron expected what happened next.
—Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
This even happened in Venice, during the couple’s wedding celebrations.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 May 2026
Following the second incident in August, Doe’s mother received a call from KidsTLC saying that their daughter was hospitalized but staff didn’t know what happened.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
The crash, which happened the afternoon of May 6, shut down the roadway for several hours and remained under investigation the next day.
—Finch Walker, USA Today, 7 May 2026
When my mom got really sick in 2016, a bunch of stuff happened that changed my life.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
People often bring up painful things that happened 50 or 500 years ago.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
The team had the opportunity to win three consecutive championships — something that hasn’t happened in UIL baseball since 1988.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Neither Virginia nor Cameron expected what happened next.
—Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happened
Verb
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The incident occurred as Minneapolis faced tensions from federal immigration enforcement operations, reflecting a broader uptick in threats against Congress members in recent years.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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According to the five-page affidavit, the arrest stems from an incident that occurred six months ago in Orlando.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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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
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All five of Bednar’s outs came via strikeout on Wednesday.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After the Knicks had already demoralized the Sixers three times too many, there was still time on the clock for one more haymaker, one more seismic punch to put Philadelphia, already on the ropes far sooner than its fan base had anticipated, out for good.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
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There was evidence of mice where all three of the deceased had worked, and one person had numerous mice in their home, according to the public health office for Mono County, home to Mammoth Lakes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, nor did HUD officials.—
Lizzie Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Happened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happened. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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