Pronunciation: /kʌm əˈpɒn/

Definitions of come upon

verb to encounter or find unexpectedly

Example Sentences

A1 I came upon a lost puppy while walking in the park.

A2 She came upon an old photo album in the attic.

B1 The detective came upon a crucial piece of evidence during the investigation.

B2 As I was hiking in the mountains, I came upon a beautiful waterfall.

C1 The archaeologist came upon a hidden chamber in the ancient ruins.

C2 After years of searching, the explorer finally came upon the lost city.

preposition used to indicate finding or discovering something by chance

Example Sentences

A1 I came upon a beautiful flower while walking in the park.

A2 As I was hiking, I came upon a hidden waterfall.

B1 The detective came upon a crucial piece of evidence during the investigation.

B2 While exploring the old castle, we came upon a secret passage.

C1 The archaeologist came upon a rare artifact buried deep in the ruins.

C2 In his research, the scientist came upon a groundbreaking discovery that changed the course of his work.

Examples of come upon in a Sentence

formal During our expedition, we unexpectedly came upon a hidden cave filled with ancient artifacts.

informal I was just walking through the park when I came upon a lost puppy.

slang I was driving around aimlessly when I came upon this cool new taco truck.

figurative After years of hard work, I finally came upon the opportunity of a lifetime.

Grammatical Forms of come upon

past tense

came upon

plural

come upon

comparative

more come upon

superlative

most come upon

present tense

come upon

future tense

will come upon

perfect tense

have come upon

continuous tense

coming upon

singular

comes upon

positive degree

come upon

infinitive

to come upon

gerund

coming upon

participle

come upon

Origin and Evolution of come upon

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English and Middle English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'come upon' originated from Old English and Middle English, where 'come' meant to approach or arrive at a place, and 'upon' meant on or onto.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'come upon' has retained its original meaning of encountering or finding something unexpectedly, but it may also be used in a more figurative sense to indicate stumbling upon an idea or solution.