come about

come about (third-person singular simple present comes about, present participle coming about, simple past came about, past participle come about)

1. (intransitive) To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen.

   We have to ask, how did this come about?

2. (intransitive, nautical) To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking. See also come to.
3. (intransitive) To change; to come round.
   • Shakespeare

     The wind is come about.

   • Ben Jonson

     On better thoughts, and my urged reasons, / They are come about, and won to the true side.

• (to happen) come to pass, occur, transpire; See also Thesaurus:happen
• (to tack)
• (to change)