Phrasal verb
come upon
Definition
phrasal verb. to find or meet someone or something by chance.
phrasal verb. to encounter or discover something unexpectedly; often used in narrative contexts to describe a sudden find.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“I came upon a beautiful old house in the woods.”
contextual
“While researching his family history, he came upon a box of letters from the 1920s.”
complex
“The explorers came upon the ruins of an ancient temple hidden deep within the dense jungle vegetation.”
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'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
upon
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
come + upon + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/come-upon