as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
the popular belief that Sir Isaac Newton hit upon his understanding of gravity at the sight of an apple falling from a tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit (upon)
Verb
-
With Mark Scheifele and Connor cycling on the outside, trying desperately to find a chance in the middle, Iafallo drove to the net and jumped on a Scheifele rebound, scoring the game-tying goal while off balance in the slot.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025 -
Those few minutes sent students scrambling for cover and barricading themselves around campus until authorities found them.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The investigating vessels encountered three Chinese coast guard vessels, whose movements became increasingly confrontational as their South Korean counterparts neared their destination at about 2:30 p.m. February 26, according to media accounts.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Mississippi borrowers can encounter annual percentage rates (APRs) up to an astounding 572%.—
Aisha Nyandoro,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The conversation is interrupted by the group coming across some blood in the snow.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Medieval skeletons found in heart of Brussels during archaeological excavation Archaeologists in Brussels, Belgium, recently came across the remnants of an old cemetery located in a busy part of the city.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Hit (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit%20%28upon%29. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share