happens upon
Finds by chance
To happen upon something is to find or encounter it by chance rather than by searching: I happened upon an old photo album in the attic.
The phrase suggests pleasant surprise at an unexpected discovery.
Variants include happen on and stumble upon.
Lose footing momentarily
- encounterUnexpected meeting or confrontation
- findLocate through effort
- come acrossFind accidentally
- uncoverReveal what's hidden
unearth · discover · bump into · run into · spot · notice · detect · locate
Unplanned matching of events
- accidentUnintended harmful event
- flukeChance stroke of luck
- fortuityAccidental lucky occurrence
- providenceDivine protective care
kismet · fate · fortune · windfall · chance · lucky find · twist of fate · stroke of luck
Not anticipated beforehand
- unforeseenNot predicted or expected
- suddenOccurring without prior notice
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- startlingCausing sudden surprise
astonishing · shocking · jarring · unanticipated · out of the blue · catch off guard · take by surprise · bolt from the blue
stumble
Lose footing momentarily
- encounterUnexpected meeting or confrontation
- findLocate through effort
- come acrossFind accidentally
uncover · unearth · discover · bump into · run into · spot · notice · detect · locate · meet
coincidence
Unplanned matching of events
providence · kismet · fate · fortune · windfall · chance · lucky find · twist of fate · stroke of luck · chance encounter
unexpected
Not anticipated beforehand
- unforeseenNot predicted or expected
- suddenOccurring without prior notice
- abruptSharp and unexpected
startling · astonishing · shocking · jarring · unanticipated · out of the blue · catch off guard · take by surprise · bolt from the blue · blindside
happens uponlooks for
Tries to find
tracks down · pursues · investigates · researches · digs up
happens, happen, upon, happened, happening, happenings, haps, happy, unhappy