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

In May, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda declared outbreaks after lab tests detected the spread of Bundibugyo virus, which causes a type of Ebola disease. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026

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 July 2026

Detergent overdosing also leaves behind a film on the inside of the washer, which feeds mold and causes odors. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

Too little conviction causes investors to sell as soon as a position becomes uncomfortable, while too much can turn a mistake into part of their identity. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

What usually causes harmful algal blooms along Florida's coasts? — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 25 June 2026

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. — Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026

That's why an earthquake of this magnitude causes so much more damage in a place like Venezuela than, say, Japan, because Japan is much more prepared for these types of events, given their inherent risk along the Ring of Fire. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 25 June 2026

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. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026

Noun

The data points to the following leading causes of death in the 1900s. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

On the money front, divorce is among the leading causes of bankruptcy, Wells-Gibson previously told USA TODAY. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 3 July 2026

The superstar and football player, both 36, are known for supporting charitable causes long before this latest wave of donations. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

And poor diet and sedentary living continue to be the leading causes of preventable chronic conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

But, fundamentally, understanding and treating the root causes of weight gain is also paramount. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026

Borman’s death of natural causes was confirmed by his longtime producing partners Eric Kopeloff and Philip Schulz-Deyle. — Brent Lang, Variety, 2 July 2026

Acute hearing loss can result from treatable causes like earwax buildup or infection that a hearing aid won’t address. — Allison Palmer july 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

Those causes carried timeless moral weight that outlasted Gandhi’s assassination and Mandela’s nearly three decades of imprisonment. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026