hap 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈhap How to pronounce hap (audio)
Definition of hapnext
1
as in event
something that happens we must make the best of both the good and the bad haps of life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in luck
the uncertain course of events by hap and circumstance, he ended up as a cartoonist in New York

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hap

2 of 3

noun (2)

dialect
as in quilt
a decorative cloth used as a top covering for a bed the hap was a patchwork quilt that the old woman had made herself

Synonyms & Similar Words

hap

3 of 3

verb

as in to happen
to take place what wondrous events hath happed this Christmas Day?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hap
Noun
One false move can lead to trouble, and it hap-pens sooner or later to just about everybody who handles these reptiles. — Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026 Looking for a slice of hap-Pi-ness? — Allison Kiehl, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2026 Check out his latest artwork, photos and adventures from the past, and current haps on his website Cory Richards Dot Com. — Outside Online, 3 Dec. 2025 The stars of 1989's hap-hap-happiest holiday comedy have kept busy since that dysfunctional dinner. — Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024 The company didn’t appear close to understanding the nature of the universe, but per haps that’s coming. — Zoë Schiffer, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hap
  1. event
  2. luck
  3. quilt
  4. happen
  5. thing
  6. chance
  7. counterpane
  8. be
Noun
  • YouTube Europe boss Pedro Pina, a fixture at these events, reminded producers that the platform won’t take work away from them by entering the production game.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Her cousin, played by Azam Quadri, turns up without warning after 15 years away, and his visit brings back the events that once split the family.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of event
Noun
  • And, in the case of the continent’s richest man Aliko Dangote, the conflict has proven the old adage that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles star as the down-on-their-luck Dashwood sisters, who are forced to move from their fine family estate into the decidedly more modest Barton Cottage.
    — Nicholas DeRenzo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • Bedsure PureWoven Embroidered Quilt Anyone who’s anti-comforter can find a happy compromise in this cotton quilt, which is available in a dozen different colors to complement your bedroom’s color palette.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild is a community of upwards of 120 quilters from the Sacramento area who appreciate modern quilt aesthetics.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of quilt
Verb
  • His big adult break happened when visiting his sister in San Francisco in 1954.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers can model what happens if copper prices increase sharply or if a newer technology becomes commercially viable years from now.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of happen
Noun
  • For one thing, individual stocks are more volatile than an index fund and the five-year holding period means millions of shareholders can’t sell if things go wrong.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Notably, most things known to have antidepressant effects increase brain plasticity—such as exercise, electroconvulsive therapy, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors prescribed as antidepressants, and psychedelic drugs.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of thing
Noun
  • The loss thwarted Cleveland’s chance at a World Series championship, extending its drought to 78 years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Afternoon highs on Friday are expected to be a much cooler 57 degrees as a 40% chance of rainfall lingers in the area.
    — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of chance
Noun
  • Beneath wall text describing Báthory’s ghoulish crimes and her macabre punishment, bloody mannequins in nightshirts, one with its throat hideously cut, sprawl across a counterpane.
    — Sam Lipsyte, Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022
Definition of counterpane
Verb
  • The exact timeline for when these AI companies go public is still in flux, but there is no doubt that new wealth will be coming online soon, and some of it is already here.
    — Melissa Stevens, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • There are believed to be two adult owls, and some photographers have claimed to have seen six fledglings, Barrett added.
    — JOSEPH FREDERICK, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of be

Browse Nearby Words

hants
hap
haphazard
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Cite this Entry

“Hap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hap. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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