(many) happy returns
idiom
old-fashioned
—used for wishing someone a happy birthday and to express the hope that he or she will live to celebrate many more birthdays in the future
Examples of (many) happy returns in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Greatest Showman actor wished Dylan many happy returns on Instagram last month, sharing a slideshow of photos and videos from their escape to Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles.
—
Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 18 Mar. 2022
Kinney's was the first of several happy returns in the new episode, which picked up six months after last May's season finale.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024
Sandra Bullock's Style Evolution In honor of her birthday on Wednesday, multiple celebrity friends turned out on social media to wish Bullock many happy returns.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
Few happy returns If the wave of injuries to top starting pitchers wasn’t enough, many of those who’ve remained healthy have simply underperformed.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 16 May 2023
Procrastinators may find what early filers already know: Tax year 2022 is not producing as many happy returns as in previous years due to a number of changes, including the expiration of some pandemic-era tax breaks.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2023
Here’s to many more happy returns from the iconic model in 2023.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2022
Among Cruise's other Maverick costars to wish him many happy returns on social media was Glen Powell, who shared a snapshot of the daredevil actor hanging off the side of a plane.
—Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 5 July 2022
Another example of happy returns is the presence of several leading directors and at least one big star who’ve been absent from the big screen for several years.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 20 May 2022
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illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 18 Mar. 2022
Kinney's was the first of several happy returns in the new episode, which picked up six months after last May's season finale.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2024
Sandra Bullock's Style Evolution In honor of her birthday on Wednesday, multiple celebrity friends turned out on social media to wish Bullock many happy returns.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
Few happy returns If the wave of injuries to top starting pitchers wasn’t enough, many of those who’ve remained healthy have simply underperformed.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 16 May 2023
Procrastinators may find what early filers already know: Tax year 2022 is not producing as many happy returns as in previous years due to a number of changes, including the expiration of some pandemic-era tax breaks.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2023
Here’s to many more happy returns from the iconic model in 2023.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2022
Among Cruise's other Maverick costars to wish him many happy returns on social media was Glen Powell, who shared a snapshot of the daredevil actor hanging off the side of a plane.
—Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 5 July 2022
Another example of happy returns is the presence of several leading directors and at least one big star who’ve been absent from the big screen for several years.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 20 May 2022
Dictionary Entries Near (many) happy returns
Cite this Entry
“(many) happy returns.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28many%29%20happy%20returns. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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