come upon
Present Participle
coming upon
Past Tense
came upon
Past Participle
come upon
1
to encounter someone or something unexpectedly
- As I was cleaning the attic, I came upon a dusty old trunk filled with family photographs.
- During our hike, we came upon a beautiful waterfall hidden deep in the forest.
- The archaeologists came upon ancient artifacts while excavating the site.
- I was flipping through an old book when I came upon a handwritten letter from my grandmother.
- As he was walking along the beach, he came upon a message in a bottle washed ashore.
2
(of a particular attitude or emotion) to start to influence an individual
- As the day progressed, a sense of unease came upon her, making it difficult to focus on her work.
- During the meeting, a wave of inspiration came upon the team, leading to creative and innovative ideas.
- While reading the novel, a feeling of nostalgia came upon him as he recalled similar experiences from his past.
- As the music played, a sense of tranquility came upon the audience, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
- During the intense discussion, a feeling of urgency came upon the group as they realized the importance of the decision at hand.
Synonyms:
3
(particularly of something unfortunate or unexpected) to happen to someone
- Unforeseen financial troubles came upon him when he lost his job unexpectedly.
- Unexpected health issues came upon the family, leading to a challenging period of medical expenses.
- Misfortune came upon the small town as a natural disaster swept through, causing widespread damage.
4
to suddenly and unexpectedly attack a person or thing
- As night fell, the enemy troops came upon the unsuspecting camp, launching a surprise attack.
- The stealthy ninja could come upon their opponents silently, leaving no time for defense.
- In the dense fog, pirates could come upon passing ships without being detected until it was too late.
- The ambush was carefully planned so that the attackers could come upon the convoy undetected.
- The sudden storm could come upon the coastal town without warning, causing significant damage.