happy ending
Americannoun
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happy endings
plural
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in a story, a conclusion in which good has the final victory and major issues are resolved to the satisfaction of the lead characters, often with the formation of a romantic relationship and sometimes regarded as unrealistic, cliché, or sentimental.
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in real life, a favorable conclusion to any issue or series of events; a positive outcome for a particular person or group.
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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 discovery gives Kiama Library an unusually complete local mystery: an unidentified borrower, a hidden fireplace, a theoretical five-figure fine and, after approximately a century and a half, a very late happy ending.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
It's been a happy ending for the eggs of an elusive bird that were just inches from the flames of a large wildfire earlier this year.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
And though the film highlights the Braves’ improbable championship, it’s clear there isn’t necessarily an easy, happy ending to this story.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
“Goldilocks” was the byword for the bull market of the past few years, but now the three bears—oil, gold, and the Fed—are on the prowl, and there may be no happy ending.
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026
What makes for a happy ending is what Addie said all along: freedom.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
