as in happens
to take place
let me know when the lunar eclipse is scheduled to occur
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Recent Examples of occurs
Recycling pickup occurs every other week on the same day.
—
Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
And while New England isn't known for its earthquakes, much of Connecticut's seismic activity occurs in or near the town of Moodus, according to the Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC).
—Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Negligence occurs when someone fails to take reasonable steps to prevent harm, and that failure directly causes an injury.
—Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
This occurs when the weight of the water pooling at the top of the iceberg creates enough pressure at the edges to punch through.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2026
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office initiated its Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incidents Protocol, which occurs when a person dies in police custody, the lawsuit states.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Opposition occurs when Earth, moving faster in its orbit than Jupiter, overtakes the giant planet.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
This also occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is known as the aurora australis, or southern lights.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
And while New England isn't known for its earthquakes, much of Connecticut's seismic activity occurs in or near the town of Moodus, according to the Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC).
—Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Negligence occurs when someone fails to take reasonable steps to prevent harm, and that failure directly causes an injury.
—Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
This occurs when the weight of the water pooling at the top of the iceberg creates enough pressure at the edges to punch through.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2026
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office initiated its Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incidents Protocol, which occurs when a person dies in police custody, the lawsuit states.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Opposition occurs when Earth, moving faster in its orbit than Jupiter, overtakes the giant planet.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
This also occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is known as the aurora australis, or southern lights.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occurs
happens
Verb
-
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This communication happens within 10 minutes of the pill being swallowed.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occurs. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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