hit (upon)

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit (upon)
Verb
  • Currently on a six-game winning streak and 11 wins in 12 games, the Celtics suddenly find themselves with a legitimate chance to catch the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Auroral activity occurs where a planet's magnetic fields converge into its atmosphere, so Neptune’s auroras are found far from its rotational poles.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • After college, the Florida native encountered her first hurdle at the gates of medical schools.
    Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
  • In 2003, a German graduate student named Britta Späth encountered the McKay conjecture, one of the biggest open problems in the mathematical realm known as group theory.
    Leila Sloman, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Each iteration of Bond comes across at least one per film, from glamorous love interests to dangerous femme fatales, and, while their motivations may vary, their attire is even more unique.
    EW.com, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
  • This can come across like a challenge to the humans present, instead of a rejection of them.
    Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hit (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit%20%28upon%29. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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