Synonyms for lead to
verb cause to happen; encourage- activate
- breed
- bring about
- cause
- coax
- convince
- engender
- generate
- motivate
- persuade
- produce
- promote
- prompt
- urge
- abet
- actuate
- bulldoze
- cajole
- draw
- effect
- get
- goose
- impel
- incite
- influence
- instigate
- make
- move
- occasion
- press
- procure
- soft-soap
- squeeze
- steamroll
- sway
- sweet-talk
- wheedle
- argue into
- bring around
- draw in
- get up
- give rise to
- prevail upon
- sell one on
- set in motion
- suck in
- talk into
- twist one's arm
- win over
Antonyms for lead to
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the
Philip Lief Group.
brings on
verb. provoke
cause
verb. bring into being; bring about
- be at the bottom of
- begin
- brainstorm
- break in
- break the ice
- breed
- bring to pass
- come out with
- compel
- cook up
- create
- dream up
- effect
- elicit
- engender
- evoke
- fire up
- generate
- get things rolling
- give rise to
- hatch
- incite
- induce
- introduce
- kickoff
- kindle
- lead to
- let
- make
- make up
- motivate
- muster
- occasion
- open
- originate
- precipitate
- produce
- provoke
- result in
- revert
- secure
- sow the seeds
- start the ball rolling
- think up
- work up
caused
verb. bring into being; bring about
- be at the bottom of
- begin
- brainstorm
- break in
- break the ice
- breed
- bring to pass
- come out with
- compel
- cook up
- create
- dream up
- effect
- elicit
- engender
- evoke
- fire up
- generate
- get things rolling
- give rise to
- hatch
- incite
- induce
- introduce
- kickoff
- kindle
- lead to
- let
- make
- make up
- motivate
- muster
- occasion
- open
- originate
- precipitate
- produce
- provoke
- result in
- revert
- secure
- sow the seeds
- start the ball rolling
- think up
- work up
causes
verb. bring into being; bring about
- be at the bottom of
- begin
- brainstorm
- break in
- break the ice
- breed
- bring to pass
- come out with
- compel
- cook up
- create
- dream up
- effect
- elicit
- engender
- evoke
- fire up
- generate
- get things rolling
- give rise to
- hatch
- incite
- induce
- introduce
- kickoff
- kindle
- lead to
- let
- make
- make up
- motivate
- muster
- occasion
- open
- originate
- precipitate
- produce
- provoke
- result in
- revert
- secure
- sow the seeds
- start the ball rolling
- think up
- work up
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the
Philip Lief Group.
Word Origin & History
c.1300, "action of leading," from lead (v.1). Meaning "the front or leading place" is from 1560s. Johnson stigmatized it as "a low, despicable word." Sense in card-playing is from 1742; in theater, from 1831; in journalism, from 1912; in jazz bands, from 1934.