because of

preposition

: by reason of : on account of

Synonyms of because of

• with

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

And the refineries that are unscathed have had trouble shipping because of the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the United States are battling for control. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

The case attracted attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Schottenheimer huddled the team up for a longer than usual postgame discussion because of the fights. — Jon MacHota, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Seven-nine percent said to avoid a ticket, 72 percent said to avoid a crash, and 60 percent said because of bad weather, according to the research. — Doug Myers, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for because of

• hereinabove
• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove

Kids Definition

because of

preposition

: by reason of