HAPPENING (UPON) Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

happening (upon)

verb

Definition of happening (upon)

present participle of happen (upon)

as in encountering

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for happening (upon)

Verb

Tiny creatures like crabs and ants traveled huge distances, encountering all sorts of dangers—driven by the instinct to lay eggs and reproduce at any cost.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
How Regulation Will Shape The Winners The history of fintech is replete with businesses that grew quickly before encountering regulatory obstacles.

— Antoine Sallis, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of encountering

Verb

Acceptance of the former is advancing, with more than 50 countries meeting in Colombia this year to grapple with how exactly to do it.

— Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
But Kye is insecure about the scars on his chest and on his head, so the girl agrees to blindfold herself with a silk scarf before meeting him.

— S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of meeting

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

happenings

happening (upon)

happen (on or upon)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Happening (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happening%20%28upon%29. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of happening (upon)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tittle

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes