# as it happens

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/as-it-happens
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

By coincidence, incidentally.

## Examples

- I need a pen, and as it happens, I have one here.
- I was looking for a new apartment, and as it happens, my neighbor is moving out next month.
- The professor mentioned a rare manuscript during the lecture, and as it happens, I had already spent the morning studying that very text in the library.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.