happen to

phrasal 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.
For presidents, history tends to be more about what happens to them rather than through them. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025 Baldwin, meanwhile, strikes up a close friendship with Kendall Jenner, who also happens to be friends with Bieber, and the three are spotted at the Hillsong Church in NYC that November. Stacey Leasca, Glamour, 21 Jan. 2025 The University of Alberta's meteorite collection curator, Chris Herd, who happened to have a vacation on the island already scheduled, got a call to investigate. Julian Dossett, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2025 The connection feels particularly prescient on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which happened to coincide with the Inauguration. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for happen to 

Dictionary Entries Near happen to

Cite this Entry

“Happen to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happen%20to. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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