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 effort to find the right engine and tail rotor from the Black Hawk continues, the agency said.
    Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 7 Feb. 2025
  • After two and four months the researchers checked back in and found evidence of successful teeth growth in around 50% of the pigs.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Several of the people Cunningham and her group encountered were young.
    Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Davidson then introduces a bottle of dirt and rocks, which symbolizes the people the boy encounters daily—classmates, shop workers, strangers, family and friends.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The database also gave anyone who came across it full database control and potential privilege escalation capabilities without needing to authenticate a user's identity and whether they were allowed to see this database.
    Sam Sabin, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025
  • But many people who came across the detritus have started to collect the objects — some individuals took them home as souvenirs, while others are aiming to sell them for profit.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN, 30 Jan. 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 11 Feb. 2025.

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