# come upon

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/come-upon
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to find or meet someone or something by chance.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I came upon with a solution." but "I came upon a solution." — the verb is followed directly by the object; do not add 'with' as you would for 'come up with'.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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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.