cause 1 of 2

verb

Definition of causenext
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

cause

2 of 2

noun

ˈkȯz How to pronounce cause (audio)
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
Verb
Inter of Italy and Spain’s Barcelona were possible destinations, but instead Campbell shocked English football and caused unimaginable consternation and fury… by joining Arsenal. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 Southern California Edison Investigators conclude that sparks from a tower owned by California’s second largest utility caused the 2025 Eaton Fire in Altadena that killed 19 people and destroyed 9,400 homes and businesses. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
Observational designs at this scale detect associations, not causes. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The bacteria, which has many different types, are a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, according to the agency. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause
  1. create
  2. reason
  3. movement
  4. bring
  5. determinant
  6. campaign
  7. generate
  8. causation
Verb
  • Kotb had an arts and crafts session with her daughters in May 2023, creating sweet paintings with their handprints.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The hard part for those opponents now is winning early federal cases and creating disagreement between the country's appeals courts, which may help convince the Supreme Court the issue is important enough for a nationwide ruling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of create
Noun
  • That’s basically the reason cheese straws and candied pecans exist.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • But Leiters says there’s no reason to wonder if the electric 718 will make it to production or not.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of reason
Noun
  • The movement appears to have prompted adjustments inside Modi’s party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Credit the on-trend silhouette, which tapers from knee to ankle, for making movement effortless.
    — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of movement
Verb
  • The Gold-Studded Structured Crossbody features a structured shape, luxe gold hardware and eye-catching studded details, bringing just the right amount of personality to any look.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Bong’s nephews went with the search team to bring the wreckage home.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of bring
Noun
  • Serlie and colleagues are now studying determinants of weight loss success after bariatric surgery.
    — Crystal Gwizdala, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The World Health Organization recognizes that individual, social and structural determinants shape mental health and that promotion and prevention efforts need to address those determinants.
    — Yujia Zhu, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of determinant
Noun
  • The actor has also walked the runway during New York Fashion Week and even starred in a Jacquemus campaign in 2025.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In late June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a 40-day campaign to ramp up drone strikes deep into Russian territory – a push that his top adviser has said will continue.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of campaign
Verb
  • The strongest hurricanes can generate storm surge greater than 18 feet.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Matchstick-dry pine plantations in Gironde, France generated what is believed to be that country’s first-ever pyroCb just last week.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of generate
Noun
  • But even though the study found a significant link between artificial sweeteners and memory issues, experts say this is still only a correlation, not causation.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Her research explores questions about the nature of the self, decision-making, temporal experience, philosophical methodology, causation, causal experience, time and time’s arrow, perception, mereology, constitution, and essence.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of causation

Phrases Containing cause

Browse Nearby Words

causations
cause
cause célèbre
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cause. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cause

Nglish: Translation of cause for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of baptism of fire

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All