english
1
general::
verb
occur:
Don't let that happen to you.
verb
by chance:
He just happened to be there.
Simple Definitions
2
general::
happen along/by (somewhere)
mainly US
to go to a place by chance or without planning to
• I'd have drowned if he hadn't happened along and pulled me out of the river.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
happen
used especially when talking about events that have not been planned:
• When did the accident happen? • Something terrible has happened!
take place
to happen – used especially when talking about events that have been planned or that have already happened:
• The conference will take place on the 16th of June. • The competition took place on Saturday 30th June.
occur
formal to happen – used especially when talking about events that have not been planned:
• The incident occurred outside the police station at around 9 pm.
there is/there are
used when saying that a particular event happens:
• There was an earthquake about a week ago. • There are strikes almost every year.
come up
to happen – used about problems, questions, or opportunities:
• There aren’t any jobs at the moment, but we’ll let you know if something comes up . • This question often comes up when I’m talking to students.
arise
formal to happen unexpectedly – used about problems, arguments, or difficult situations:
• A dispute arose about who should receive the money. • It is best to deal with the problem as soon as it arises.
crop up
to happen – used about problems or difficult situations, especially ones that are less serious, and can quickly be dealt with:
• The banks will contact their customers if a problem crops up.
strike
to happen suddenly and unexpectedly – used about very bad events:
• The hurricane struck at around 1 am. • Disaster struck, and he lost all movement in his legs.
turn out
to happen in a particular way:
• Luckily, everything turned out well. • How did it all turn out?
Longman-Thesaurus
4
general::
verb ADV. actually, really She couldn't quite believe that all this was actually happening to her. | just I don't remember learning to swim, it just happened. | spontaneously Sometimes fun activities just happen spontaneously; at other times they take careful planning. | overnight Change doesn't happen overnight. VERB + HAPPEN be going to They could only wait and see what was going to happen. | be likely to | be bound to Mistakes are bound to happen sometimes. | tend to What tends to happen is that students spend the first week of the course in a blind panic, but settle down by the second or third week. | want sth to | make sth You have to make things happen if you want them to happen. | let sth Don't just sit back and let it happen. PREP. to She didn't know what was happening to her.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary