to cause

Examples

• All

• I know I caused you a lot of pain.

  Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

• What kind of damage did that cause?

  I Can't Breathe (God Forgive Them) (2022)

• And I think that that has caused a lack of trust.

• How is me taking a shower at night causing my eye pain?

  Bretman Rock

• The evidence that they can cause cancer is modest.

  Shawn Ryan Show

• Luckily we caught her before she caused too much trouble.

  Harmony (2022)

• And yes, trauma does cause a lot of narcissism.

  Stephan Speaks

• The presence of chronic illness may cause patients to be more responsive to interventions.

  Academic text (2011)

• It can cause despair, it can cause a sense of absurdity.

  Lex Fridman

• Climate change is affecting plant survival and causing some species to disappear or try to migrate.

  Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

M

to make

vsto cause

∞ 1.0

To cause something to happen or be in a certain state

is the simple, general verb for causing an outcome

B

to bring

vsto cause

∞ 1.0

To cause something to happen or create a change

is the general notion of producing an effect or change

S

to set

vsto cause

∞ 3.2

To cause something to start, often with a strong effect

is the general act of producing an effect without focus on start

T

to trigger

vsto cause

425 4.2

To cause something to start or happen

is the general act of producing effects, not only sudden starts

I

to initiate

vsto cause

347 4.5

To start something such as a project or discussion

is the wider idea of bringing about effects, not only starts

B

to bring on

vsto cause

342 3.5

Cause something, often a sickness or a bad feeling, to start

is the neutral act of producing effects without negative implication

M

to make for

vsto cause

174 3.7

Help to cause something to happen

is the main, full action of producing an effect rather than aiding it

B

to bring about

vsto cause

166 3.0

To make something happen

is the broader, general action of making an effect occur

M

to make it happen

vsto cause

151 3.0

Get something you want by working to reach it

is the neutral idea of bringing about effects without effort emphasis

P

to provoke

vsto cause

134 3.7

Cause a reaction or feeling

is more general, covering any form of producing an effect

I

to induce

vsto cause

133 5.3

Cause a process, event, or feeling to start

is the plain notion of producing outcomes without medical or technical sense

E

to effect

vsto cause

• Formal

121 6.1

To cause something to happen

is the everyday term for making something happen or occur

B

to breed

vsto cause

71 3.9

To cause a feeling or situation to begin

is the general term for producing an effect at any speed

G

to give rise

vsto cause

• Formal

50 3.5

Make something happen

is the basic act of bringing about an effect or result

S

to set in motion

vsto cause

48 3.5

To make something begin to move or happen

is broader, covering any way of bringing an effect about

M

to make things happen

vsto cause

38 3.2

To take action that causes events or results

is the neutral description of making an event happen

I

to instigate

vsto cause

37 6.9

To cause something bad to start

is neutral and general, not limited to negative actions

E

to engender

vsto cause

• Formal

28 6.9

To make a feeling or situation start

is the broader action of making effects happen in any context

B

to beget

vsto cause

23 7.9

To cause something to happen or exist

is the common modern expression for producing an effect

E

to effectuate

vsto cause

• Formal

5 8.6

To make something happen, for example a plan or change

is the common, general action of bringing about an effect

Antonyms

P

to prevent

∞ 2.3

Stop something from happening or someone from doing it

H

to halt

178 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

Phrasal Verbs

C

to cause a stir

19 4.0

Make people feel excited or upset and attract attention

C

to cause chaos

13 4.1

To make a place or situation very messy and confused

C

to cause to sleep

1 3.9

To make someone fall asleep

Compounds

C

cause of death

178 2.8

The reason a person died as recorded by a doctor or other official

P

probable cause

• Formal

77 6.8

Reason enough for police to arrest someone or search property

L

lost cause

45 4.9

Something that has no chance of success

R

root cause

• Specialized

41 3.6

The main reason why a problem happens

C

cause of action

• Formal

8 8.2

A set of facts that lets a person ask a court to fix a wrong

F

first cause

• Formal

4 9.9

A being or force believed to be the original reason everything exists and was not made by anything

F

final cause

• Formal

1 9.9

The purpose for which something exists or is made

C

cause célèbre

9.3

An event like a trial that gets a lot of public attention because people strongly disagree about it

A

adverbial of cause

8.7

A phrase or clause that shows the reason for an action

How Strong

to precipitate

32 7.5

to produce

∞ 2.0

to cause

∞ 1.0

to bring about

166 3.0

to lead to

∞ 2.5

contributing

22 3.6

Surface Forms

Etymology