come about
1 of 1verb/kʌm əˈbaʊt/
Forms:comes about,coming about,came about,come about
1
to happen, often unexpectedly
- How did this situation come about?
- The decision to expand the company came about after much deliberation.
- The error in the report came about due to a miscommunication.
- A great opportunity for collaboration came about through a chance meeting.
- The change in policy came about because of new government regulations.
2
(of wind) to change direction
- The wind came about suddenly, blowing from the west.
- As the storm approached, the wind came about from the east.
- After several hours, the wind finally came about, pushing the boat forward.
- The weather conditions changed, and the wind came about into the north.
- They were making good progress until the wind came about, slowing them down.
3
(of a sailing maneuver) to change direction by turning the front of the boat through the wind
- The sailor skillfully came about, shifting to a new direction to catch the wind.
- The boat needed to come about to avoid the shallow waters ahead.
- As the wind changed, they decided to come about and head for the harbor.
- The skipper shouted for the crew to come about as they approached the buoy.
- They practiced coming about repeatedly to improve their sailing skills.
Synonyms: