Synonyms of causes

causes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cause

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

• creates
• generates
• brings
• prompts
• produces
• does
• spawns
• works
• induces
• yields
• effects
• invokes
• makes
• catalyzes
• brings about
• occasions
• begets
• engenders
• translates (into)
• breeds
• encourages
• results (in)
• brings on
• promotes
• gives rise to
• effectuates
• introduces
• brings forth
• draws on
• initiates
• contributes (to)
• founds
• determines
• begins
• launches
• develops
• inaugurates
• starts
• establishes
• institutes
• decides
• fosters
• fathers
• renders
• conduces (to)
• cultivates
• furthers
• advances
• sets up
• enacts
• turns out
• nourishes
• pioneers
• sets
• nurtures
• innovates
• forwards

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• limits
• restricts
• impedes
• suppresses
• inhibits
• controls
• arrests
• stifles
• dampens
• crushes
• represses
• retards
• subdues
• curbs
• checks
• squashes
• restrains
• reins (in)
• smothers
• kills
• puts down
• destroys
• quells
• squelches
• quashes
• cracks down (on)
• abolishes
• clamps down (on)
• extinguishes
• cans
• quenches
• stills
• liquidates
• demolishes
• snuffs (out)

causes

2 of 2

noun

plural of cause

1

as in determinants

someone or something responsible for a result

the much-debated causes of the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

• determinants
• reasons
• causations
• antecedents
• causalities
• sources
• factors
• occasions
• considerations
• origins
• stimuli
• incentives
• mothers
• impetuses
• inspirations
• springs
• be-all and end-alls
• roots
• instigations
• alpha and omegas

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• effects
• issues
• consequences
• results
• products
• outcomes
• developments
• fruits
• sequences
• ramifications
• resultants
• aftereffects
• corollaries
• fates
• outgrowths
• sequels
• repercussions
• aftermaths
• upshots
• conclusions
• ends
• side effects
• denouements
• by-products

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

• campaigns
• movements
• pushes
• crusades
• drives
• initiatives
• projects
• actions
• attacks
• marches
• bandwagons
• juggernauts
• bids
• assaults
• maneuvers
• blitzes
• missions
• enterprises
• offensives
• undertakings

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of causes

Verb

This causes the cement paint and patching compound to dry too quickly. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Instead, excess testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to become smaller and then the hair strands to become thinner. — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026

Bringing them to the aquarium to keep them alive likely causes great trauma to the whales after many years of being left alone. — Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

Holden Karnofsky, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, founded Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy), an organization that funds causes central to the EA mission, including AI and biosecurity. — Katie McQue, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026

The problem at the heart of their story is that childhood eventually ends, and that causes a rift between the young women. — Parents, 25 Sep. 2026

Nothing is off limits, in theory, but sometimes fans can get carried away and cross a line that causes some hurt feelings. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

At night, the fibromyalgia causes Lukas to wake up crying from muscle aches. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Postmortem studies have shown that Huntington’s causes a specific type of striatal neurons—the cells that send signals around the brain and nervous system—to be lost. — Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2026

Noun

Some experts point to worsening public health since the 2008 financial crisis, citing factors such as growing obesity, long hospital waiting times, the cost-of-living crisis and other social causes. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026

The official causes of death for both were deferred, pending further investigation. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Other potential causes are higher rates of chronic stress, depression and anxiety, as well as autoimmune diseases, which weaken the immune system, Curhan said. — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

Rivera said reading Against All Hope, Cuban political prisoner Armando Valladares’ memoir, while attending FIU persuaded him to abandon plans to become a sportswriter and devote his life to political and human-rights causes. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

From labor struggles and lynching to desegregation, Murray served as the ethical voice of reason, directing Roosevelt to use her immensely powerful position on behalf of righteous causes. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

And where there are multiple causes, there’s rarely one single solution. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 2 Oct. 2026

Large image files are one of the most common causes of slow pages. — Anthony Savino, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

While hair thinning and shedding can be distressing, determining the underlying causes can help slow down, stop or even reverse certain types of hair loss. — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026