come about

British  

verb

1. to take place; happen

2. nautical to change tacks

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come about Idioms  

1. Also, come to pass . Happen, take place, as in How did this quarrel come about? or When did this new development come to pass? Shakespeare used the first term, first recorded in 1315, in Hamlet (5:2): “How these things came about.” The variant, dating from the late 1400s, appears often in the Bible, as in, “And it came to pass ... that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus” (Luke 2:1).

2. Also, go about . In sailing, to change tack (direction), as in It's important to duck under the boom when we come about . [Mid-1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

come about

The fines from the county’s Department of Public Health also come about a week after air quality regulators issued a series of violations due to the odor coming from the facility.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Much of the Fed behavior Mr. Warsh wants to change has come about largely by accident, without extensive consideration beforehand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

When did the idea for creating a new album come about?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

Ironically, arbitration has come about ostensibly through willing agreement.

From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2026

It had come about almost magically, as if the threads had spoken to her, or sung.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry