HAPPENED in a Sentence

Learn HAPPENED from example sentences; some of them are from classic books. These examples are selected from a corpus with 300,000 sentences, including classic works and current mainstream media. Some sentences also link to their contexts.

420 example sentences for HAPPENED, such as:

1. This happened in the center of operations.
2. I remember, it happened to be The Gipsies.
3. His version of what happened is incorrect.
4. He clewed us in on how the accident happened.
5. A TV playback showed exactly what had happened.

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 Meanings and Examples of HAPPENED
Definition Example Sentence Classic Sentence
happen
 v.  take place; come to pass; have the fortune
happening
 n.  an event that happens
Classic Sentence: (210 in 15 pages)
1  Also, he bestowed upon a lady of pleasant exterior who, escorted by a footman laden with a bundle, happened to be passing along a wooden sidewalk a prolonged stare.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER I
2  Did the discourse turn upon horse-breeding, upon horse-breeding he happened to be peculiarly well-qualified to speak.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER I
3  In fact, but for the circumstance that the travellers happened to encounter a couple of peasants, they would have come on their errand in vain.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER II
4  At the same moment the cuff of one of his sleeves happened to dislodge another chessman from its position.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER IV
5  In fact, God only knows what would have happened had not the fates been pleased by a miracle to deliver Chichikov's elegant back and shoulders from the onslaught.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER IV
6  Approaching the first desk which he happened to encounter, Chichikov inquired of the two young officials who were seated at it whether they would kindly tell him where business relating to serf-indenture was transacted.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER VII
7  You have happened upon us by chance, and you shall have no reason to repent of it.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER VII
8  Just as he was about to replace them in his master's room he happened to glance over the railing of the gallery, and saw Selifan returning from the stable.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 1: CHAPTER VII
9  And when that happened he would reverently acknowledge the immensity of the mercy of Providence, gratefully tender thanksgiving for the same, and betake himself again to his irregular mode of existence.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 2: CHAPTER IV
10  It happened that just at that time the Prince had several other important affairs on hand, and affairs of a very unpleasant nature.
Dead Souls By Nikolai Gogol
Context  Highlight   In PART 2: CHAPTER IV
11  His brother happened about the same time to be made an officer in the Guards.
Fathers and Children By Ivan Turgenev
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER I
12  Nothing happened,' answered Arkady; 'we were rather slow.
Fathers and Children By Ivan Turgenev
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER IV
13  He had once happened three years before to stay a night at an inn in a remote district town.
Fathers and Children By Ivan Turgenev
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VIII
14  I remember, it happened to be The Gipsies.
Fathers and Children By Ivan Turgenev
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER X
15  When this happened to her, she did not very quickly come out again; her face even assumed at such times an obstinate, almost stupid expression.
Fathers and Children By Ivan Turgenev
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER XVI
Example Sentence: (210 in 15 pages)
16  The crash happened seconds after the pilot reported engine trouble.
17  A TV playback showed exactly what had happened.
18  I was standing by the side of the road, so the accident happened under my very eyes.
19  Tell us exactly what happened and don't prevaricate.
20  He clewed us in on how the accident happened.
21  His story of what happened that night didn't correspond with the witness's version.
22  I have yet to hear Ray's version of what happened.
23  His version of what happened is incorrect.
24  Yeah, George, same thing happened to the presidency under Richard Nixon.
25  Don't upset yourself about it-let's just forget it ever happened.
26  The ultimate cause of what's happened seems to have been the advertising campaign.
27  This happened in the center of operations.
28  It's not clear precisely how the accident happened.
29  There's no need for you to concern yourself with what happened.
30  He tried wiggling the control stick but nothing happened.