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
Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
They had been expected to argue that severe mental disease or defect caused Purdy not to comprehend that his conduct was wrong.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2025
Chris Anderson, USA Today, 26 June 2025
The cause of the fire itself is currently under investigation.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause
Verb
His remarks during a White House press conference come amid conflicting reports, including from US intelligence sources, about the extent of the damage caused by recent American strikes on Iran’s main nuclear sites.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
They had been expected to argue that severe mental disease or defect caused Purdy not to comprehend that his conduct was wrong.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2025
Noun
Officials have not yet released the cause of death.
—Chris Anderson, USA Today, 26 June 2025
The cause of the fire itself is currently under investigation.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause
Verb
-
The Fashion Design programs’ project was created in collaboration with Chargeurs PCC (Recoding the Shirt) to reimagine the shirt as an object of structural experimentation.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
20 June 2025
-
Rather than going for conventional boardroom-style ties, Falk is looking at creating ties from materials like lace, pearls, and leather.—
Kristopher Fraser,
Robb Report,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
In Virginia, Democratic turnout rose even without much of a reason to vote.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
-
This rise in great white shark sightings off Cape Cod is due to a few reasons.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Is there a path to build a movement to defeat this fascist Trump agenda?—
Dave Zirin,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2025
-
However, the rapid movement of the dollar in either direction typically sparks extensive internal discussions about hedging strategies and financial forecasts.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
The levels of perspective framework developed by Dr. Daniel Kim, who's an advisor for my company, brings mental models to the surface for alignment so that organizations can create the right systemic structures.—
Thomas Lim,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
The storms may bring wind gusts of up to 60 mph and penny-sized hail (0.75 inches).—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The strongest determinant of support, according to Wheeler’s survey work, was that the National Park Service makes all that clear.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
-
Yet service levels are one of the primary determinants of ridership.—
Matthew Yglesias,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
The Patriots junior, who was instrumental in the school winning the 4A state football championship in the fall, closed out his junior campaign with three more state championship medals in track.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2025
-
Barcelona’s 2024-25 campaign was thrilling on the pitch — but there were equally dramatic twists and turns off it.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
TikTok users can't get enough of the sweet video, which has generated over 52,200 views and more than 10,400 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
The athletics department has been generating revenue through various means, including the establishment of the Competitive Success Fund.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
The study doesn't, however, prove causation – but this link adds to the growing body of evidence that such bitter taste receptors have more complex biological impacts than simply helping hunter-gatherer humans avoid potential plant toxins.—
Bronwyn Thompson,
New Atlas,
15 June 2025
-
But even collectively, the research found only correlations that might implicate nitrate—not the hard proof of causation required to trigger the difficult and controversial process of tightening federal health regulations.—
Dave Hage,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cause. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share