happen
verb (used without object)
to take place; come to pass; occur.
were 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.
I just clicked on the television, and the opening credits were happening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Lauren, 29, was seven when she got her first migraine and went on to have them regularly - by the time she was 24, they were happening every day.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The owner said he had no idea which games were happening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
The White House official also confirmed this reporting to Barron’s and said meetings were happening today with the Commerce Department.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
He turned on the television, piping through the house the sound of news reports about things that were happening so far from here that they barely seemed real.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
