This is the 8287th most frequent Japanese word.
引き起こす
"引き起こす" means "to cause" or "to bring about."
'引き起こす' is used here to mean 'to cause' an event or consequence.
暴風が大きな被害を引き起こした。
The storm caused significant damage.
In this context, '引き起こす' denotes 'to provoke or incite' an event or reaction.
彼の失言が議論を引き起こした。
His slip of the tongue sparked a debate.
Here, '引き起こす' is applied to signify 'to trigger' or 'to bring about' a disruptive situation.