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
  • Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 10 July 2026
  • Nguyen founded Vintage Modern, formerly known as Vintage Broncos, to wrap classic car veneers around the latest vehicle undercarriages.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of found
Verb
  • Kaplan described the engineers his team encountered there as among the most skilled in the world at managing AI agents.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • On a remote Maine logging road, a couple out for a day of fishing unexpectedly encountered a black bear chasing a frantic moose calf toward their truck.
    — Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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