as in encounters
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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happens (upon)
Verb
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Yet despite their impressive size, encounters with these enigmas remain exceedingly rare due to the myriad of challenges of studying deep-sea sharks.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026 -
Lurker, written and directed by Alex Russell (Beef, The Bear), is a psychological thriller that follows an introverted 20-something retail clerk, Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), who encounters Oliver (Archie Madekwe), a popular and charismatic musician.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In November, shareholders approved a pay package that could eventually award him up to $1 trillion if the company meets a series of ambitious targets.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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The bridge between East and West—and where old meets new.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Happens (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happens%20%28upon%29. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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