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
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Severe storms and flooding in Muskego, Wisconsin, caused road closures, sewage issues, and damage to homes and businesses.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Under federal law designed to insulate the central bank from political pressure, Fed governors can only be removed for cause.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause
Verb
For Nautilus vehicles, the device can also cause the rear tail light, rear turn signal and rear position light to fail, Ford said.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Severe storms and flooding in Muskego, Wisconsin, caused road closures, sewage issues, and damage to homes and businesses.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Police said that speed appears to have been a factor, but the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Under federal law designed to insulate the central bank from political pressure, Fed governors can only be removed for cause.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause
Verb
-
That means teaching parents how to be their child’s calm center, how to interpret behavior as communication, and how to create home environments that foster cooperation and emotional safety.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Coming from nothing and being able to still create things on a budget is cool.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Our creative and marketing teams form the largest portion of our workforce—and for good reason.—
Anatolii Kasianov,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Some states permit universal mail-in voting, for example, where anyone can vote by mail for any reason.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Trump said earlier this month that Vance is the most likely heir to his MAGA movement, but Vance continued to brush off speculation about his 2028 plans.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Information on layoffs is critical to understanding forces in the labor market and grasp the ongoing movement of employment.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Oasis is instigating joy on reunion tour What Oasis has brought with this tour, perhaps inadvertently, is a communal spirit.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
-
The storms may bring wind gusts of up to 40 mph and marble-sized hail (0.5 inches).—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
One important determinant is whether the AI is still resorting to human-like language and not necessarily patterning on human reasoning.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
This can be especially damaging given that home ownership is the top wealth-creation tool in the US — and an appraisal is a key determinant of how much, if anything, someone can borrow.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Update, Monday August 18, 2025: This article has been updated with details on Google AI cloud services and the final pre-launch moments of the Pixel 10 marketing campaign.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
At one point, Trump pointed to a portrait depicting his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 presidential campaign.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This crossword clue page was generated automatically using information from puzzles.usatoday.com.—
Sally Hoelscher,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Meanwhile, photos of Endrick already working with the ball in the gym generated some talk, suggesting that his return from a hamstring injury is closer than had been previously communicated.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But correlation is not causation. Consider this scenario: Carrier records show data transmission thirty seconds before a crash.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
The timing of autism diagnosis often coincides with the vaccination schedule, but correlation does not mean causation.—
Tim Ryan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cause. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share