happen
verb (used without object)
to take place; come to pass; occur.
was happening
-
past progressiveof happen.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
When he arrived at his destination a few hours later, the strategist said he had “a million” messages from people asking what was happening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Rachel says, for years, police did not believe her when she told them what was happening to her.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
She highlighted that this was happening in parallel with "more water-related disasters".
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
“La Opinión helped families like mine stay informed about what was happening in our communities and gave Spanish-speaking Angelenos a voice,” she said in a written statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
It was not until I was through the farmyard gate and out into the field that I could begin to understand what was happening.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
