chance upon

phrasal-verb
UK: /tʃɑːns əˈpɒn/
US: /tʃæns əˈpɑːn/

  1. To find or see someone or something unexpectedly.

    1. I chance upon an old friend at the market today.
    2. While cleaning the attic, I chanced upon a box of old photographs.

Synonyms

find discover encounter come across
chance upon transitive-verb

  1. To meet or find (someone or something) by accident.

    1. Did you chance upon my lost keys anywhere around?
    2. Walking through the forest, we chanced upon a beautiful, hidden waterfall.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "chance upon" is /tʃɑːns əˈpɒn/ in British English and /tʃæns əˈpɑːn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "chance upon": find, discover, encounter, come across.

Example usage of "chance upon": "I chance upon an old friend at the market today.". More examples on the page.