Meaning & use

happen

verb·Everyday

To occur or take place, especially without being planned in advance.

See it in a sentence

Nobody expected the accident to happen so suddenly during rush hour.

Let me know right away if anything unusual happens while I'm away.

A note on using this word

The phrase 'happen to' can mean to do something by chance, as in 'I happened to see her at the store.'

Words with a similar meaning

occurtake place

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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