as in coincidence
formal + literary
something that happens by chance
Our meeting was pure happenstance. We met each other by happenstance.
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Recent Examples of happenstance
Maury became a travel specialist by happenstance while living overseas (she’s called Hong Kong, South Africa, France, Australia, and Vietnam home at different points in her life).
—
The Editors, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2026
What followed, however, has been anything but happenstance.
—Susan Caminiti, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The fact that the trades came so close to Trump’s announcement may have been mere happenstance, Khouw pointed out.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Time will tell if the mid-major is really extinct or if these last two years were a random happenstance in a college landscape that continues to radically shift.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happenstance
The Editors, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2026
What followed, however, has been anything but happenstance.
—Susan Caminiti, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The fact that the trades came so close to Trump’s announcement may have been mere happenstance, Khouw pointed out.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Time will tell if the mid-major is really extinct or if these last two years were a random happenstance in a college landscape that continues to radically shift.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for happenstance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for happenstance
Noun
-
The wildfires, the droughts, the water shortages hitting CA-48 right now are not coincidences.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
But Jones, who says the pose came about organically, and others agreed the similarities were likely a coincidence.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Under certain circumstances, which were not identified, the system will initiate a reset in an attempt to improve performance.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
9 May 2026
-
The series having three games in four nights has been taxing on both teams, but neither is dwelling on their circumstances compared to Boston and Ottawa’s six days off between games.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Happenstance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happenstance. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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