happened (on or upon)

verb

past tense of happen (on or upon)
as in found
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance happened on the filming of a movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for happened (on or upon)
  1. found
  2. encountered
Verb
  • As for other homegrown brands, Moonglaze, founded by makeup artist Yara Alnamlah, launched at Sephora Middle East earlier this year, the first Saudi brand to launch at the retailer.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Gwangju Biennale was founded in 1994 to commemorate the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, during which hundreds of civilians were killed during a protest against the authoritarian military government’s brutal crackdown on civil rights.
    — Vivienne Chow, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of found
Verb
  • The crew made sure the water level wasn’t high enough to slosh around the inside of the aircraft, in case the plane encountered turbulence.
    — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Reporters encountered zero officers during a two-and-a-half hour ride through uptown and South End last Saturday.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of encountered
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

happened (by)
happened (on or upon)
happened (upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Happened (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happened%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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