come upon

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to meet or encounter unexpectedly

   I came upon an old friend in the street today

Idioms and Phrases

see come across, def. 1; come on, def. 3.

Example Sentences

He stopped short when he came upon a line of federal officers who blocked his path to the farm.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In August, a boy scout troop hiking in the Emigrant Wilderness north of Yosemite National Park came upon a 78-year old man who had spent a night without food, water or shelter in the mountains.

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He came upon an old market crowned with a grand dome and a broken clock that had numerals in Bengali, the language most commonly spoken in the city.

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On day four, the boys –- along with five adults -–were heading up from their campsite near Long Lake when they came upon Montgomery.

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"Once we were near a place called Aberfoyle and we came upon a sausage tree."

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Related Words

• bump into 
• come across