hit (upon)

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)
Verb
  • The typical price of a single-family home in the United States is about $368,000, jumping roughly 13% over the past 5 years and 38% over the last decade, the ABC News data team found.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • And Sheen does find the words to tell more harrowing stories of addiction and excess that defined his Hollywood spiral.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Jessica Purcell, assistant professor in the department of entomology at the University of California, Riverside, has encountered Iberian harvester ants while studying other ant species in Italy.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Once released, many encounter stigma from employers, landlords, and even their communities, which fosters rejection and shame.
    Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hit (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit%20%28upon%29. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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