Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb happen

5 senses of happen

Sense 1
happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place -- (come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important")

Sense 2
happen, befall, bechance -- (happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance; "It happens that today is my birthday"; "These things befell" (Santayana))
       => happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place -- (come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important")

Sense 3
happen -- (chance to be or do something, without intention or causation; "I happen to have just what you need!")
       => chance -- (be the case by chance; "I chanced to meet my old friend in the street")

Sense 4
happen, materialize, materialise -- (come into being; become reality; "Her dream really materialized")
       => happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place -- (come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important")

Sense 5
find, happen, chance, bump, encounter -- (come upon, as if by accident; meet with; "We find this idea in Plato"; "I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here"; "She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day")