come upon
phr. v.. C1 Advanced Oxford
phr. v.. to find or meet someone or something by chance.
phr. v.. to encounter or discover something unexpectedly; often used in narrative contexts to describe a sudden find.
I came upon a beautiful old house in the woods.
While researching his family history, he came upon a box of letters from the 1920s.
The explorers came upon the ruins of an ancient temple hidden deep within the dense jungle vegetation.
- Particles
- upon
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- come + upon + object
Usage
more formal and literary than 'run into' or 'find by accident'.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'come across', which is much more common in spoken English; 'come upon' suggests a more dramatic or physical discovery.
Pitfall
I came upon with a solution.I came upon a solution.the verb is followed directly by the object; do not add 'with' as you would for 'come up with'.