happen to

phrasal verb

happened to; happening to; happens to

: to affect or involve (someone or something) as the result of an event or action

An odd thing happened to me on my way to the office last week.

I wonder what/whatever happened to that guy after he lost his job.

especially : to affect (someone or something) in a bad or harmful way

I promise nothing will happen to you.

What happened to the car? There's a big scratch on the fender.

Examples of happen to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Related Articles While boarding can happen to all ER patients, adults 65 and older, who account for nearly 20% of ER visits, are especially vulnerable during long waits for care. —

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 18 May 2024 While they were never indicted on a charge of participating in the plot, both Goldman and Berkman happened to be living in San Francisco at the time. —

Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for happen to

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'happen to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.