TOEFL Vocabulary: Cause, process, and change 40 medium-tier words, each with a short plain-English definition, followed by a quick quiz to check what stuck.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 1, 2026
Verbs and nouns for how things develop: trigger, accelerate, fluctuate, stabilize, consequence, constraint. Science and social-science passages are often organized as processes, and these words mark each step.
Most useful for: Read an Academic Passage · Listen to an Academic Talk · Academic Discussion .
Cause, process, and change is one of the medium themes in our
TOEFL vocabulary list , where you can also find how the tiers work.
The 40 words Cause, process, and change — Medium tier # Word Meaning Tier 1 accelerate to increase speed or rate Medium 2 adapt to change in response to conditions Medium 3 alter to make something different Medium 4 arise to come into existence Medium 5 capacity the amount something can hold or do Medium 6 cause something that makes an event happen Medium 7 compensate to make up for a loss or weakness Medium 8 consequence a result that follows an action Medium 9 constraint a limit on what can be done Medium 10 cycle a repeating sequence of events Medium 11 decline to become smaller or weaker Medium 12 derive to obtain from a source or process Medium 13 develop to grow or become more advanced Medium 14 disrupt to interrupt normal activity Medium 15 effect a change produced by a cause Medium 16 emerge to become visible or known Medium 17 enable to make an activity possible Medium 18 enhance to improve the quality or amount Medium 19 expand to grow in size or range Medium 20 exposure contact with an influence or condition Medium 21 fluctuate to rise and fall irregularly Medium 22 influence the power to affect a result Medium 23 interact to affect one another through contact Medium 24 maintain to keep in the same condition Medium 25 modify to change part of something Medium 26 occur to take place Medium 27 persist to continue despite difficulty or time Medium 28 phase one stage in a process Medium 29 promote to encourage growth or activity Medium 30 recover to return to an earlier or healthy state Medium 31 reduce to make smaller or less Medium 32 reinforce to make something stronger Medium 33 mediate to affect how one thing influences another Medium 34 restore to bring back a previous condition Medium 35 restrict to limit what is possible or allowed Medium 36 shift to move or change position Medium 37 stabilize to make something less likely to change Medium 38 trigger to cause a process to begin Medium 39 vary to differ or change Medium 40 transform to change greatly in form or character Medium
Self-check: match the meaning Cover the table above. Here are 8 of the 40 cause, process, and change words, starting with accelerate : choose the word each definition describes.
to increase speed or rate accelerate disrupt phase restrict Show answer A. accelerate
something that makes an event happen expand cause mediate transform Show answer B. cause
to become smaller or weaker maintain trigger decline capacity Show answer C. decline
to become visible or known promote alter cycle emerge Show answer D. emerge
to rise and fall irregularly fluctuate restore consequence effect Show answer A. fluctuate
to take place vary occur develop exposure Show answer B. occur
to make smaller or less arise enhance reduce modify Show answer C. reduce
to move or change position constraint interact recover shift Show answer D. shift
Using cause, process, and change words on the test In Read an Academic Passage, arise and decline often carry a paragraph's main point, so check how each one connects to the sentence before it. In Listen to an Academic Talk, a speaker may define enhance or modify on the spot; note the definition, not just the word. In the Academic Discussion, reinforce and vary can make your position precise; use them in a sentence that also gives a reason. Other medium themes
Previous ← Research and data Next Society and economy → Frequently Asked Questions How many words are in the cause, process, and change list? + 40, from accelerate to transform, all in the medium tier of our TOEFL list. The self-check quiz on this page tests 8 of them, beginning with accelerate.
Where do cause, process, and change words appear on the TOEFL? + Language like this is most useful in Read an Academic Passage, Listen to an Academic Talk and Academic Discussion. These are general academic words worth recognizing quickly and using when they fit.
Which cause, process, and change words should I learn first? + Start with cause (something that makes an event happen); emerge (to become visible or known); occur (to take place). In Read an Academic Passage, arise and decline often carry a paragraph's main point, so check how each one connects to the sentence before it.