CAUSES Synonyms: 157 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

causes

2 of 2

noun

plural of cause

as in determinants

someone or something responsible for a result the much-debated causes of the war

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in campaigns

a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal joined the freedom fighters' cause as a young man

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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 causes

Verb

Plus, an infected deer tick must keep its harpoon-like feeding tube in the bloodstream for 36 to 48 hours to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026 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

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for causes

Verb

In 2025, the first chime of bells from a mountain pavilion at dawn, accompanied by a gentle morning greeting, creates a space where each collection is experienced independently and explores the versatile expressions of Songmont’s design language.

— Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
The seamless connection to the water creates a sense of freedom and relaxation, making every morning feel like a dream.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of creates

Noun

Many of those outcomes can be attributed to social determinants of health, like affordability, care access and transportation.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
Katie Garfield, who studies social determinants of health at Harvard Law School's Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, said the lack of federal guidance is stirring uncertainty for states that want to pursue nutrition programs in Medicaid.

— Priyanka D McCluskey, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of determinants

Noun

The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
These differentiators are not novel, but in my experience they are often overlooked or underleveraged in community bank marketing campaigns.

— Brian Reilly, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of campaigns

Verb

Better lineage improves simulation quality, which produces better model behavior, which generates better outcomes and richer feedback, strengthening governance by exposing the gaps previous cycles missed.

— Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
In this configuration, the hydrogen engine generates electrical power rather than driving the propeller shafts directly.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of generates

Noun

They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment.

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
Activated by eminent domain Cook, an insurance agent living in Sugarloaf Township next door, has her own reasons to oppose the data center project.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of reasons

Noun

Troop movements over the past couple of weeks indicate the group is concentrating on seizing the southwestern highlands, which could then open the way for a push toward the government’s capital, Aden.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
The bombers were redeployed back to their home bases in the United States, AP reported, citing a Pentagon official who was not authorized to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on condition of anonymity.

— Azhar Sukri,Terri Cullen, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026