hit (upon)

verb

Definition of hit (upon)next
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance the popular belief that Sir Isaac Newton hit upon his understanding of gravity at the sight of an apple falling from a tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit (upon)
  1. find
  2. encounter
  3. come across
Verb
  • Packable, walkable, comfortable—three keywords to bookmark when shopping for a travel sandal, though finding all of them in one pair can be a journey of its own.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The government leases only 48,000 square feet and 29 parking spots in the 350,000-square-foot property, and the lease does not extend to the place where prosecutors say Morrow and Stanley encountered officers, the defense attorneys maintain.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • This is just one of many, many kinky situations Hoffman encounters as Elliot, a meek, wide-eyed college graduate who enters into a sadomasochistic relationship with gallery owner Erika Tracey (Olivia Wilde).
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of encounter
Verb
  • Lead vocalist Jacob Bannon came across the phenomenon when researching his own tinnitus and reimagined it as a culmination of all the pain and suffering in human existence.
    — Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026
  • So Veena’s mother turned to the internet, came across a blog post about Real Love and spoke to the woman who wrote it, a mother whose son had been suicidal.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026
Definition of come across
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

hit (up)
hit (upon)
hive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hit (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit%20%28upon%29. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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