cause vs rule out

cause

verb
  • To set off an event or action. 

  • To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority. 

noun
  • Sufficient reason for a state, as of emotion. 

  • A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends. 

  • A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action. 

  • The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result. 

rule out

verb
  • To disallow. 

  • To reject an option from a list of possibilities. 

  • To make something impossible. 

  • To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler. 

  • To make unavailable. 

How often have the words cause and rule out occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )