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

507 3.2

To cause something to start, often with a strong effect

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

I

to initiate

vsto cause

426 4.5

To start something such as a project or discussion

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

T

to trigger

vsto cause

422 4.2

To cause something to start or happen

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

B

to bring about

vsto cause

203 3.0

To make something happen

is the broader, general action of making an effect occur

I

to induce

vsto cause

168 5.3

Cause a process, event, or feeling to start

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

M

to make it happen

vsto cause

143 3.0

Get something you want by working to reach it

is the neutral idea of bringing about effects without effort emphasis

M

to make for

vsto cause

119 3.7

Help to cause something to happen

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

P

to provoke

vsto cause

115 3.7

Cause a reaction or feeling

is more general, covering any form of producing an effect

B

to breed

vsto cause

93 3.9

To cause a feeling or situation to begin

is the general term for producing an effect at any speed

B

to bring on

vsto cause

81 3.5

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

is the neutral act of producing effects without negative implication

G

to give rise

vsto cause

• Formal

49 3.5

Make something happen

is the basic act of bringing about an effect or result

E

to effect

vsto cause

• Formal

46 6.1

To cause something to happen

is the everyday term for making something happen or occur

I

to instigate

vsto cause

36 6.9

To cause something bad to start

is neutral and general, not limited to negative actions

E

to engender

vsto cause

• Formal

26 6.9

To make a feeling or situation start

is the broader action of making effects happen in any context

S

to set in motion

vsto cause

25 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

21 3.2

To take action that causes events or results

is the neutral description of making an event happen

B

to beget

vsto cause

19 7.9

To cause something to happen or exist

is the common modern expression for producing an effect

E

to effectuate

vsto cause

• Formal

4 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

206 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

Phrasal Verbs

C

to cause chaos

7 4.1

To make a place or situation very messy and confused

C

to cause a stir

6 4.0

Make people feel excited or upset and attract attention

C

to cause to sleep

3.9

To make someone fall asleep

Compounds

C

cause of death

126 2.8

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

P

probable cause

• Formal

87 6.8

Reason enough for police to arrest someone or search property

L

lost cause

39 4.9

Something that has no chance of success

R

root cause

• Specialized

35 3.6

The main reason why a problem happens

C

cause of action

• Formal

7 8.2

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

C

cause célèbre

5 9.3

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

F

first cause

• Formal

2 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

A

adverbial of cause

8.7

A phrase or clause that shows the reason for an action

How Strong

to precipitate

31 7.5

to produce

∞ 2.0

to cause

∞ 1.0

to bring about

203 3.0

to lead to

∞ 2.5

contributing

3.6

Surface Forms

Etymology