Collocations for "happen"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "happen" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
happen
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- happened [yesterday, last year]
- happens [sometimes, all the time]
- [never, always, usually] happens
- happened [four] times
- will happen [tomorrow, next year]
- happened by [accident, chance, itself]
- [going, likely, waiting] to happen
- these things (can) happen
- can happen to anyone
- what can happen when
- can happen anywhere, anytime
- make it happen
- it [could, will, might] happen to you
- [it, this] always happens to me
- has [not, never] happened to me
- this keeps happening (to me)
- what's happening (to me)?
- happened at [work, school, home]
- happened over [time, the course of a year]
- if you happen to [come across, find, go]
- [if, in case] you happen to
- happen to [know, think, do, have]
- (just) happened to [notice, see, be passing]
- it just so happens (that)
- as it happens, I [have, did]
'happen' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
AD
- America
- afraid
- anytime
- awful
- bound
- clearly
- existing
- extraordinary
- faculty
- foresee
- foreshadow
- frequency
- glimpse
- gradually
- inevitable
- intend
- less
- lifetime
- miracle
- never
- regular
- scared
- slowly but surely
- soon
- spare
- strange
- terrible
- these
- thought
- wonder
- worse