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.

That depth — and the way it’s been flattened abroad — didn’t happen by accident.

From Salon

It could be years before changes are implemented, with government sources saying only that it will happen by the end of the next parliament, around 2034.

From BBC

These moments of return do not happen by chance.

From Salon

Musk has said that will happen by the end of December.

From MarketWatch

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