as in coincidence
formal + literary
something that happens by chance
Our meeting was pure happenstance. We met each other by happenstance.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of happenstance
But, honestly, nothing about this show has been happenstance.
—
Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
Wells was not in Memphis, by happenstance, when her editorial was published.
—Amy Gais / Made By History, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
The answer would hinge on whether the courts saw northern segregation as de jure (resulting from state action) or de facto (resulting from happenstance).
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025
Yet in my experience, growth doesn’t come by luck or happenstance.
—Dr. Eric George, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for happenstance
Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
Wells was not in Memphis, by happenstance, when her editorial was published.
—Amy Gais / Made By History, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
The answer would hinge on whether the courts saw northern segregation as de jure (resulting from state action) or de facto (resulting from happenstance).
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025
Yet in my experience, growth doesn’t come by luck or happenstance.
—Dr. Eric George, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for happenstance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happenstance
Noun
-
For other countries, this coincidence of self-interest and multilateralism—previously a defining characteristic of U.S. hegemony—is vital for sustaining international cooperation.—
Ngaire Woods,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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By coincidence, 2025 is the year of the Giubileo, or the Vatican's Jubilee, a period lasting from late December of last year into the first days of 2026 that is meant to draw Catholics from around the world for an endless sequence of religious ceremonies, conferences and concerts.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Aside from the Signal scandal, Hegseth is scrambling to deal with the fallout from the recent departure of four senior Pentagon appointees under murky circumstances.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Following Prince’s death, there was a two-year investigation into the circumstances around his untimely passing.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Happenstance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happenstance. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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