happens (upon)

verb

present tense third-person singular of happen (upon)
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for happens (upon)
  1. encounters
  2. meets
Verb
  • The agent encounters its own limitations, its own failure modes, its own unexpected strengths.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The players in this year’s final will all know each other well from La Liga encounters — 24 of the 52 across both squads feature for Spanish clubs (18 for Spain and six for Argentina).
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of encounters
Verb
  • Chadwick is a former pastor of Forest Hill, which meets at the Ballantyne YMCA for one of its branches.
    — Chase Jordan July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • But there’s another option for travelers looking for a more intentional vacation where the ocean meets high-end service.
    — Megan duBois, Southern Living, 22 July 2026
Definition of meets
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

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happens (upon)
happen (upon)
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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 27 Jul. 2026.

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