How is "occur" used on the GRE?

"occur" is a commonly tested GRE vocabulary word. It appears in Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension sections. Understanding its definition, synonyms, and usage in context is essential for GRE Verbal Reasoning.

What are synonyms for "occur"?

Synonyms for "occur" include: happen, take place, arise.

occur

Pronunciation: /əˈkɜːr/

verb

Definition of occur

To happen or take place

Synonyms for occur

happen
take place
arise

occur in a Sentence

Natural disasters can occur without warning in many parts of the world.

Why occur Matters for GRE & SAT

"occur" is a verb that means "To happen or take place" closely related to words like "happen", "take place", "arise". As a word starting with O, it belongs to a cluster of GRE and SAT vocabulary that test-takers often encounter in Verbal Reasoning, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension sections.

On the GRE, understanding "occur" helps you distinguish between closely related answer choices in Sentence Equivalence questions. On the SAT, recognizing this word in context strengthens your performance on Craft & Structure and Words in Context questions. Seeing how "occur" is used in sentences — like the examples above — builds the contextual understanding that standardized tests reward.

Study tip: Start with the definition and part of speech (verb). Then learn its 3 synonyms to build a word network. Finally, practice with spaced repetition to move "occur" into long-term memory.

How to Remember occur

One effective way to remember "occur" (verb) is to group it with similar words you already know: "happen" and "take place" and "arise". When you encounter "occur" on a test, these synonym connections help you quickly recall its meaning — "To happen or take place".

Use flashcard apps with spaced repetition to review "occur" at increasing intervals until it becomes automatic.

obdurate — stubborn; unyielding
obeisance — reverence for an individual
obfuscate — obscure or confuse
objective — Not influenced by personal feelings; based on facts

More Vocabulary Words Starting with O

obdurate — stubborn; unyielding
obdurate — stubborn; unyielding
obeisance — reverence for an individual
obeisance — reverence for an individual
obfuscate — obscure or confuse
obfuscate — obscure or confuse
objective — Not influenced by personal feelings; based on facts
objective — A thing aimed at or sought; not influenced by personal feelings
objective — Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; impartial
objective — Not influenced by personal feelings; based on facts