by chance

Idioms

Casually, accidentally, as in I ran into Bill purely by chance. [c. 1300] Also see by coincidence.

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.

Put simply, physics appears to allow the possibility that our memories are not reliable records but instead detailed illusions produced by chance.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2026

He said he bought it over the weekend after learning about the competition by chance.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998,” she said.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

But it was only by chance that I was by myself when my phone buzzed and displayed an on-screen message with some additional questions from the dog sitter I’d booked for our trip.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

He by chance was given a room which had once been the home of George Jean Nathan, the critic and editor.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

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