as in to create
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 reason
someone or something responsible for a result
the much-debated causes of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in movement
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
joined the freedom fighters' cause as a young man
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cause
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Inaccurate data can lead to instability, allowing the plasma to escape its magnetic confinement and potentially cause damage to the machine.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
There is no update on the containment of the fire and its cause remains unknown.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause
Verb
This has kept geolocation deals from causing severe economic harm compared to revenue, multiple people at betting companies told Sportico.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Inaccurate data can lead to instability, allowing the plasma to escape its magnetic confinement and potentially cause damage to the machine.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
How To Respond In most cases, the appearance of sap is not a cause for alarm.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
There is no update on the containment of the fire and its cause remains unknown.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause
Verb
-
The bad news is that there are already murmurs in Brussels about piecemeal, incremental measures – harmonizing certain national laws, creating yet another framework for EU member states to fuss over and interpret.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The series is created, written, directed and executive produced by Levinson and produced in partnership with A24.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
When looking for reasons the Nuggets will win a championship, Braun belongs high on the checklist.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Same reason Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki – who has emerged as the Dodgers’ surprise solution at closer – brought his talents here.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The group published their ideas, known early on as neoplasticism (Nieuwe Beelding), through the magazine De Stijl, whose title eventually became the popular name of their movement.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Oct. 2025
-
This movement helps address tightness in the upper back.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Charismatic and successful military leaders like Douglas MacArthur, who refused to follow President Harry Truman’s orders during the Korean War, will always hold considerable power due to the prestige and dominance that militaries bring.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
-
His aspiration to be a country artist was what first brought the Texas native to Nashville, at age 19 in 1993.—
Nancy Kruh,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In The Bell Curve, Murray and Herrnstein argue that intelligence, as measured by an IQ score, is a crucial determinant of success in modern society.—
Eric Turkheimer,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Moore suggests focusing on the social determinants of health — providing stable housing and a strong education, for instance — in addition to intervention work.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
House Republicans had promised to use their majority to investigate Hunter's businesses, which cast a shadow on President Biden's reelection campaign.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Running mate’s populist appeal boosts Paz Paz’s campaign was boosted by his running mate Edman Lara, a former police officer known for viral TikTok videos exposing corruption.—
Reuters 3 min ago,
CNN Money,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The system mimics how the human body generates energy from food, using enzymes and natural molecules to convert glucose into usable power.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
When Benson was on the ice killing penalties, the Sabres generated two scoring chances and allowed zero.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In addition, the study shows only associations, not causation, and the participants’ experiences may not necessarily generalize to a larger, more diverse population.—
Faye Chiu,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Mandell said claims that Tylenol increases autism rates in babies and toddlers are based on low-quality studies that don’t prove causation.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cause. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share