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
Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
For instance, an overhand knot produces a flipping motion, while a figure-eight knot causes the robot to spin.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Quite possibly, something unexpected will occur that causes this.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The pivotal scene that causes a break in their relationship is head-spinning.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
The pain, the inability to sleep, causes the pain to be worse.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Rain followed by dry days is another trap — rain temporarily clears the air, but a dry stretch afterward causes a sharp spike.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
The syndrome causes the heart's main pumping chamber to change shape and get larger.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The virus causes most instances of hospitalization due to severe diarrhea and is the leading cause of death due to diarrhea in children under 5.
—Annette Regan, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
When Labour’s Tony Blair won in a landslide, Hilton co-founded a consulting firm, Good Business, advising corporations on how to make money by investing in social and environmental causes.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Data show that smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the country, responsible for roughly 80,000 deaths annually.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026
In turn, Paul Weiss agreed to stop DEI practices and dedicated $40 million in pro bono legal causes identified by the administration.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Their sister is a huge liberal activist who lives to support Democratic causes.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Why These California Crash Patterns Keep Repeating In short, the common causes for crashes in California are congestion and sudden braking, signal timing and intersection complexity, limited visibility, aggressive driving, speed, and failure to yield to pedestrians and cyclists.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Clever Mercury conjoins Neptune in your 11th House of Community Dreams, blending imagination with compassion for teams and causes.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
All profits that are not reinvested in the company are given to a nonprofit and spent on environmental causes.
—Tony Biasotti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
What's left behind is a glowing core, known as a white dwarf, which is sending out radiation that causes the gas shells to glow.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
For instance, an overhand knot produces a flipping motion, while a figure-eight knot causes the robot to spin.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Quite possibly, something unexpected will occur that causes this.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The pivotal scene that causes a break in their relationship is head-spinning.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
The pain, the inability to sleep, causes the pain to be worse.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Rain followed by dry days is another trap — rain temporarily clears the air, but a dry stretch afterward causes a sharp spike.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
The syndrome causes the heart's main pumping chamber to change shape and get larger.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The virus causes most instances of hospitalization due to severe diarrhea and is the leading cause of death due to diarrhea in children under 5.
—Annette Regan, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
Outside of the band’s status as one of the highest-selling live bands in the industry, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group has cultivated a legacy in the music industry as an early pioneer in building out greener tours, looking to fundraise for environmental causes and minimize waste from his shows.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
When Labour’s Tony Blair won in a landslide, Hilton co-founded a consulting firm, Good Business, advising corporations on how to make money by investing in social and environmental causes.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Data show that smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the country, responsible for roughly 80,000 deaths annually.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026
In turn, Paul Weiss agreed to stop DEI practices and dedicated $40 million in pro bono legal causes identified by the administration.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Their sister is a huge liberal activist who lives to support Democratic causes.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Why These California Crash Patterns Keep Repeating In short, the common causes for crashes in California are congestion and sudden braking, signal timing and intersection complexity, limited visibility, aggressive driving, speed, and failure to yield to pedestrians and cyclists.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Clever Mercury conjoins Neptune in your 11th House of Community Dreams, blending imagination with compassion for teams and causes.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
All profits that are not reinvested in the company are given to a nonprofit and spent on environmental causes.
—Tony Biasotti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for causes
Verb
-
That legislation, pending action from the governor, bans new data centers through November 2027 and creates a new state council to provide strategic input, facilitate planning considerations and evaluate policy tools to address data centers, Maine Morning Star reported.—
Kevin Hardy,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, since the risk of contracting HIV is closely linked to the social determinants of health, such as having safe and stable housing and employment, barriers to HIV testing could further widen health gaps.—
Nathaniel M. Tran,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
High blood pressure is treatable, but despite having access to effective and affordable medications, more than half of Americans still have uncontrolled hypertension, with rates going up in sync with adverse social determinants of health.—
Elizabeth Cooney,
STAT,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The low fundraising numbers could signal danger for the two campaigns, according to McCuan, who said donors are often strategic with their dollars.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The 5-10, 197-pounder totaled 2,208 rushing yards and 506 receiving yards over his last two college campaigns.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Air connectivity generates 851 billion euros (nearly $1 trillion) in GDP for European economies and supports 14 million jobs, according to ACI Europe.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
-
This method generates penetration pressures roughly 30 times greater than previous seed-carrying systems that relied on rainfall to expand wood veneers.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to the restricted access to the villages, Adraee warned against moving south of another 21 villages in the area for safety reasons.—
Will Clark,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, the reasons for the decline are still debated.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike simpler movements, the task forces continuous adjustments in the arms, legs, and torso to keep the load centered and prevent tipping.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The fragile ceasefire is set to expire Tuesday, and some strategists have warned that investors are at risk of misreading how news about the conflict is reflected in market movements.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Put a few slices on your tuna salad sandwich, see what the day brings.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The former Ohio State linebacker brings versatility and enthusiasm to a Washington defense that struggled in 2025.—
Les Carpenter,
Washington Post,
25 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 2026.
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