happen to

verb

happened to; happening to; happens to
: to affect or involve (someone or something) as the result of an event or action
An odd thing happened to me on my way to the office last week.
I wonder what/whatever happened to that guy after he lost his job.
especially : to affect (someone or something) in a bad or harmful way
I promise nothing will happen to you.
What happened to the car? There's a big scratch on the fender.

Examples of happen to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The measure survived; the trade did not, and the same transfer is now happening to institutional knowledge inside AI systems. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 This, plus more, was the scene on a recent Sunday afternoon at Wintrust Field in Schaumburg, where, yes, a baseball game happened to break out in the middle of it all, too. — Chris Placek, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 But right at that moment Giovanni Di Lillo, a family doctor who had retired over twenty years earlier, had happened to be passing by during his morning constitutional along the coast. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026 And while the selection could evolve over time to include anything from coffee to tech products, Cascione has his immediate sights set on introducing his favorite snack, Snickers — which also happens to be the region’s top-selling candy bar. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for happen to

Rhymes for happen to

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Browse Nearby Words

happenstance
happen to
happer
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Cite this Entry

“Happen to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happen%20to. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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