as in encountered
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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happened (upon)
Verb
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Citing the Iquique Fishermen's Federation in the northern Chilean port city, Radio Bío-Bío reported that local fishers have not encountered Humboldt squid for three months, as Chinese vessels were suspected of disrupting the squid's migration toward the coast.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025 -
Police said the officers encountered Billings prior to hearing screams at the park.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The actor had previously met success with the first film in Netflix's The Kissing Booth series, but his searing performance as the nervy, brooding jock Nate Jacobs was among the most potent features that made Euphoria a water cooler hit.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
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The council has met regularly since the fall to collect public input and formulate recommendations, but the final proposal for a graduation standard to the governor will be made by the Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Happened (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happened%20%28upon%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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