happens

Definition of happensnext
present tense third-person singular of happen

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of happens When that happens, Stanley hopes the itinerary will expand beyond Dilworth, NoDa and Plaza Midwood. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026 What disability status can affect, however, is what happens after a lawsuit is filed and whether a creditor can successfully collect. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026 This is where true learning happens. Vivienne Ming, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026 The story was always the story for us, about power, about grooming, about how that process happens. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026 And if that friendship was just for the cameras, then what happens after the cameras are gone? Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026 What happens when people with HIV don’t take medication? Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026 This is where the tax-free growth actually happens, so choosing and allocating investments is the step that makes the Roth worth opening. Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2026 Cavedon said the case centers on what happens if a person gives an answer that the officer doesn’t find satisfactory. ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happens
Verb
  • Unlike prior authorization, which happens before the patient gets a service, pre-payment review occurs after the service but before reimbursement, while post-payment review could force providers to pay Medicaid back.
    Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The potential for double taxation typically occurs when people live and work in different places.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • There is a broader debate among conservatives and Republicans about how to wield political power once it is granted to them by the voters.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • There is a reasonable argument to be made that nostalgia, particularly current decisions informed by nostalgia, are by their nature regressive and should be discouraged.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Mullin comes into office at a time when public support for the president’s immigration agenda has fallen after a year of high-profile operations in multiple American cities.
    Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
  • And with that comes flat tires, alignment issues, bent suspension and other problems from drivers hitting potholes.
    Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Super Nintendo does a good job sketching out the corporate culture that leads to such demands.
    Alexander Kaplan, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Tiny Goliath Trounces an Even Tinier David<\/h2>

    While the iPad will continue to help the average user get by with paying the bills or writing their next breakout sci-fi novel, while maybe even tweaking some family photos, the MacBook Neo’s superior processor does it all better.

    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Happens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happens. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on happens

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster