because of

preposition

: by reason of : on account of

Examples of because of in a Sentence

I was late for work because of the snowstorm, which made driving a nightmare.
Recent Examples on the Web Farmers are a particularly influential voting bloc because of their numbers. Rishi Lekhi and Ashok Sharma, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 At the time, energy prices were in a deep slump because of Covid-19 lockdowns, prompting some speculation that oil demand had already peaked. Laura Hurst, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024 But ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, may never be allowed to be sold to any company outside of China because of measures the government began putting into place in 2020. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 At least because of Paltrow, my eyes are now open to the possibility. USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Biden was an early and enthusiastic backer of California’s law, winning labor union endorsements in part because of his promise to pursue similar protections at the national level. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Date of Brand Origin: 2015 Material: Polyamide, Polyester, and Cotton Colors Available: 1 Outdoor Research is one of those beloved companies that real outdoorsy types know and love because of its deep attention to detail and desire to create products that punch above their price points. William Goodman, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 In mid-February, only a handful of trucks crossed on some days, in part because of Israeli attacks on aid convoys and the police forces — the last vestiges of Hamas rule — who protected them. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 This is because of racist abuse that the Rio de Janeiro native received at the same ground last season, but Ancelotti didn't consider not calling him up for even a minute. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'because of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of because of was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near because of

Cite this Entry

“Because of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/because%20of. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

because of

preposition
: by reason of

More from Merriam-Webster on because of

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