as in creates
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
the ice storm caused a massive power outage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in determinants
someone or something responsible for a result
the much-debated causes of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in campaigns
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
joined the freedom fighters' cause as a young man
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of causes
Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
There isn't any research showing that drinking caffeine right after waking up causes an afternoon crash, nor is there evidence that delaying caffeine can prevent it.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2026
That causes cardiac, metabolic, and other downstream health effects.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
When the shutter is open for less time, star images are sharper because the complete exposure occurs before Earth's rotation causes star trailing.
—Tantse Walter, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The glut in supply causes the value of your condo to plummet, wiping out your equity.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Below, experts share their picks for the best eye-tightening creams, what to look for in a formula, what causes wrinkles around the eye area, and, most importantly, when to start using one.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
What is the citation if eating while driving causes an issue on the road?
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Other cast members have died from substance abuse or natural causes.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
He's championed causes on the political right, such as prohibiting federal funding for gender-affirming care, while being praised by the National Rifle Association.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
The new report did not detail how many of the 2024 deaths died from particular causes.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Under Paxton, the agency has been used to further conservative causes and attack the policy of Democratic presidential administrations.
—Philip Jankowski
austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
García Nice says the thinking was that ending violence against women internationally was key to stopping one of the root causes of migration.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
What Gyllenhaal’s movie shares with far less substantial big-budget spectacles is the delivery of effects without causes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Those may be more difficult to identify and remedy as causes are often interrelated, and solutions may demand funding and cultural change.
—Nora Demleitner, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
There isn't any research showing that drinking caffeine right after waking up causes an afternoon crash, nor is there evidence that delaying caffeine can prevent it.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2026
That causes cardiac, metabolic, and other downstream health effects.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
When the shutter is open for less time, star images are sharper because the complete exposure occurs before Earth's rotation causes star trailing.
—Tantse Walter, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The glut in supply causes the value of your condo to plummet, wiping out your equity.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Below, experts share their picks for the best eye-tightening creams, what to look for in a formula, what causes wrinkles around the eye area, and, most importantly, when to start using one.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
What is the citation if eating while driving causes an issue on the road?
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
The condition isn't fully understood, as causes can range from mild to moderate head trauma, to pre-existing inner ear diseases, and treatment is confined largely to a physical therapy exercise called the Epley maneuver.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Other cast members have died from substance abuse or natural causes.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
He's championed causes on the political right, such as prohibiting federal funding for gender-affirming care, while being praised by the National Rifle Association.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
The new report did not detail how many of the 2024 deaths died from particular causes.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Under Paxton, the agency has been used to further conservative causes and attack the policy of Democratic presidential administrations.
—Philip Jankowski
austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
García Nice says the thinking was that ending violence against women internationally was key to stopping one of the root causes of migration.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
What Gyllenhaal’s movie shares with far less substantial big-budget spectacles is the delivery of effects without causes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Those may be more difficult to identify and remedy as causes are often interrelated, and solutions may demand funding and cultural change.
—Nora Demleitner, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for causes
Verb
-
Regulating heat in these systems creates the right conditions for peak efficiency and performance, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The contrast between the volume of the trench coat and the clean lines of straight-leg jeans creates an interesting and very trendy silhouette.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Co-occurring mental health concerns often drive substance use, and social determinants such as housing stability, employment, access to care, and systemic inequities strongly shape outcomes.—
Gwilym Roddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This approach embodies the upstream vision of addressing social determinants of health—creating the conditions for people to thrive physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Racial profiling is virtually a stated part of the department’s strategy, and ad campaigns have openly espoused white-nationalist rhetoric and talking points.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
LaFayette was one of a delegation of Nashville students who in 1960 had helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which organized desegregation and voting rights campaigns across the South.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ground-penetrating radar can detect nonmetallic objects but performs poorly in wet or uneven terrain, or ground covered by vegetation, and often generates high false-alarm rates.—
Sagar Lekhak,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Thanks to Mary Shelley’s telekinetic puppeteering of Ida/Penelope, the feminist rage that sets the story in motion generates exciting and spectacular events.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And one of the reasons Nix wasn’t healthy was that the signal-caller had to pick up more slack in the run game once Dobbins was gone.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For similar reasons, many of the foundations and artists’ estates once considered the ultimate authorities (like the Keith Haring Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts) have ceased offering authentication services.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Every festival has had to think about questions being pushed over the last few years, with horrible wars going on in in Ukraine and in Gaza and elsewhere, and a lot of political movements building up around them, and with a lot of political pressure on cultural events, including film festivals.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Mar. 2026
-
None could tame its political furies; its covert operations, which killed more than a thousand Americans in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan; or its expansion, through the creation of like-minded extremist movements, across the Middle East.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the letter is yet another representation of the growing consensus on the left against consolidation that brings major news organizations under one roof, particularly when that house is owned by Ellison.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Naomi Fry says that this iteration brings with it a fresh sense of authenticity and vulnerability.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Goldie, like Bucephalus, seized the bit and galloped into the intoxicating world of knowing, of finding out, of discovering reasons and causations.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Causes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/causes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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