to happen

Examples

• All

• So these days, it happens much less frequently.

• A thing like that could happen to anyone.

  Sleuth (1972)

• So the bad things will happen as they should.

• What do I believe needs to happen again?

• But what would happen with the show itself?

• And even if that happens, it's not yet too late.

• Well, it could happen to anybody.

  The Front Page (1974)

• Do you think this is a story that could happen in real life?

  Academic text (2011)

• It happens to me all the time.

  Jacket (2018)

• Sometimes, strange coincidences happen when you least expect them.

Synonyms

O

to occur

vsto happen

770 2.0

Happen without being planned or expected

is about doing or being something by chance rather than a plain factual event

C

to come about

vsto happen

105 4.0

To happen, often by chance or without planning

is the notion of doing or being something by chance without focusing on surprise

C

to chance

vsto happen

10 3.9

To find something by accident

is about doing or being something without planning or intention rather than narrow accidental acts

B

to bechance

vsto happen

• Archaic

9.9

To happen to someone by accident

refers to doing or being something by chance generally, not specifically affecting people

Antonyms

P

to plan

∞ 1.0

To decide and arrange in advance how to do something

Idioms

W

waiting to happen

• Informal

37 5.1

Something likely to cause trouble soon

I

it didn't happen

19 8.5

Saying this shows you do not believe someone's story and you want proof it is true

D

disaster waiting to happen

• Informal

4 4.3

A situation very likely to cause serious trouble

C

couldn't happen to a nicer person

• Informal

8.1

Express real happiness that a very nice person got something they deserve

O

or it didn't happen

• Informal

9.3

Ask for proof when you doubt what someone says

P

pics or it didn't happen

• Slang

9.8

A phrase that asks for a picture as proof that something really happened

Phrasal Verbs

M

to make it happen

143 3.0

Get something you want by working to reach it

M

to make things happen

21 3.2

To take action that causes events or results

H

to happen upon

15 4.9

Find a person or thing by chance

H

to happen along

1 5.8

To find a person or thing by chance while you are going somewhere

M

to make fetch happen

• Slang

9.9

To try to get a new word or fashion to become popular

How Planned

scheduled

2.1

planned

26 1.0

arranged

1.6

to happen

∞ 1.0

to occur

770 2.0

to come about

105 4.0

Surface Forms

Etymology