Underlying cause
The crossword clue "Underlying cause" is answered by ROOT, a 4-letter entry. Used 33 times across 22 distinct years; most recently in 2026; first recorded in 1999. It appears in 9 publications in the xd corpus. Every figure on this page comes from the collection data itself.
The answer
ROOT
4 letters. See every clue for this answer on the ROOT answer page.
Used 33 times across 22 distinct years; most recently in 2026; first recorded in 1999. It appears in 9 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.
Other answers for this clue
The same clue has also been answered these ways in the xd corpus. Answers inside this collection link to their own answer page.
Other clues for ROOT
Every other clue in this collection answered by ROOT, most used first.
- Cheer (for) - used 107 times, most recently in 2026
- Tooth part - used 55 times, most recently in 2026
- Underground plant part - used 37 times, most recently in 2026
- Dig like a pig - used 31 times, most recently in 2026
Related clues
Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.
- Cause of ruin - BANE, used 43 times
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