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
  • One of the Constitution’s founding purposes was to prevent change.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Neal Street Productions, a Banijay Entertainment company, was founded in 2003; its founders are Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of found
Verb
  • On September 9, 1947, the Harvard Mark II, one of the earliest computers, encountered a bug.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Officers who responded to a shoplifting call encountered two adults allegedly fleeing from the store with a child and going into a vehicle, according to bureau.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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