happened; happening
ˈha-pə-niŋ 
ˈhap-niŋ
1
: to occur by chance
—often used with it
it so happens I'm going your way
2
: to come into being or occur as an event, process, or result
mistakes will happen
3
: to do, encounter, or attain something by or as if by chance
I happen to know the answer
4
a
: to meet or discover something by chance
happened upon a system that worked—
Richard Corbin
Richard Corbin
b
: to come or go casually : make a chance appearance
he might happen by at any time
5
: to come especially by way of injury or harm
I promise nothing will happen to you
Examples of happen in a Sentence
Something like that was bound to happen sooner or later.
You never know what's going to happen when they get together.
What happened at school today?
“What's happening?” “They're installing new equipment.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, time is running out an array of bad defensive performances leave them eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens and a tragic number of one to be eliminated, something that can happen as soon as Thursday’s visit to the New York Islanders.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
What’s happening is a homogeny of deal-making and how deals are done because of the streamers.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
There was a feeling that the country was coming out of a massive crisis and that global institutions had a responsibility to help rebuild the country, strengthen its healthcare system, and make sure an outbreak like this could never happen again.
—The Dial, 10 Apr. 2025
The incident with Lauren had understandably raised questions on whether Weezer’s set would still happen.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for happen
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Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
What’s happening is a homogeny of deal-making and how deals are done because of the streamers.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
There was a feeling that the country was coming out of a massive crisis and that global institutions had a responsibility to help rebuild the country, strengthen its healthcare system, and make sure an outbreak like this could never happen again.
—The Dial, 10 Apr. 2025
The incident with Lauren had understandably raised questions on whether Weezer’s set would still happen.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for happen
Cite this Entry
“Happen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happen. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
happen
verb
hap·pen
ˈhap-ən
ˈhap-ᵊm
happened; happening
ˈhap-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to occur or come about by chance
2
: to take place : occur
3
: to have occasion or opportunity
happened to overhear
4
a
: to meet or find something by chance
happened upon the right answer
b
: to appear casually or by chance
happened into the room just as the music started
5
: to come by way of injury or harm
nothing will happen to you
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