happened
Came to pass
Happened is the past tense of happen, meaning to occur or take place.
Events, accidents, and changes happen; the word emphasizes that something came about, often without clear cause or intention.
What happened to your car?
It just happened—I didn't plan it.
When you ask what happened, you're asking for an account of events.
Something that happened to someone befell them, often suggesting chance or misfortune.
Took place in time
- transpiredCame to pass
- unfoldedOpened from folds
- ensuedHappened afterward
- took placeCame to pass
came about · arose · emerged · developed · materialized · manifested · came to pass · befell
Unplanned matching of events
- accidentUnintended harmful event
- serendipityAccidental fortunate discovery
- flukeChance stroke of luck
- luckChance affecting outcomes
fate · destiny · providence · kismet · fortuity · randomness · chance encounter · twist of fate
occurred
Took place in time
- transpiredCame to pass
- unfoldedOpened from folds
- ensuedHappened afterward
took place · came about · arose · emerged · developed · materialized · manifested · came to pass · befell · resulted
coincidence
Unplanned matching of events
- accidentUnintended harmful event
- serendipityAccidental fortunate discovery
- flukeChance stroke of luck
luck · fate · destiny · providence · kismet · fortuity · randomness · chance encounter · twist of fate · stroke of luck
already
Prior to now
- previouslyBefore the present moment
- beforePrior in time
- earlierAt a prior time
once · formerly · back then · long ago · recently · just now · yesterday · last week · bygone · elapsed
happeneddidn't happen
fell through · came to nothing · disappeared · dematerialized · vanished
happenedfuture
Time still to come
impending · prospective · pending · forthcoming · awaits
happeneddisappeared
Ceased to exist visibly
dematerialized · vanished · dissolved · evaporated · ceased
- what happenedPast occurrences inquiry
- what's happeningCasual status inquiry
- about to happenSoon to occur
- not happeningWill never occur
- whatever happensAny eventual outcome
- make it happenCause something to occur
happen, happening, happens, happenings, happenstance, happened upon, unhappen, happen upon, happen on