happen by

British

verb

informal (intr, adverb) to appear, arrive, or come casually or by chance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The decline did not happen by chance.

From Los Angeles Times

Companies can mandate and measure AI use but driving adoption tends to happen by encouraging a culture of experimentation that celebrates wins and failures.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nasa says the landing will happen by 2028, but accepted this could be an ambitious time frame.

From BBC

Locations are typically open from dawn until late evening, yet more than half of company-operated U.S. store sales—roughly $12 billion annually—happen by 11 a.m.

From The Wall Street Journal

Users also have bet more than $12 million on whether a U.S. strike on Iran will happen by Feb. 28, with the market giving that outcome a 16% probability, and nearly $8 million on a strike by March 31, with a probability of 37%.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023