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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit (upon)
Verb
-
Using this approach, the researchers found that small changes in binder distribution can dramatically affect battery performance.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Indoor and outdoor coastal vibes near San Elijo State Beach, with daily happy-hour deals, are found at Waverly in Cardiff.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It’s been 16 days since Nancy Guthrie was reported missing, and investigators working the case that has captivated the nation’s attention are encountering a unique mix of challenges.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Troy’s resurgence as a girls basketball contender under coach Kevin Kiernan encountered a challenging checkpoint Saturday.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Hit (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit%20%28upon%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
