as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
John Adams's wife, Abigail, told him that if women were not remembered by the new American government, they would "foment a Rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice or Representation"
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Recent Examples of foment
Still, she and other candidates were held back as speculation fomented for months that Harris was toying with the idea of campaigning for the governor's mansion.
—
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
But Cristobal foments hope that new glory is near.
—Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Want to foment a revolution or win a war?
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 14 Aug. 2025
In May, 1978, long after the first unrest in Qom, Farah seemed not to have even heard of the ayatollah who was fomenting rebellion from Iraq.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foment
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
But Cristobal foments hope that new glory is near.
—Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Want to foment a revolution or win a war?
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 14 Aug. 2025
In May, 1978, long after the first unrest in Qom, Farah seemed not to have even heard of the ayatollah who was fomenting rebellion from Iraq.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foment
Verb
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Gutman's comment have provoked backlash on social media, with some calling for him to be fired from his role.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Prolonged isolation in detention can provoke psychological symptoms, including paranoia, PTSD and depression, that can lead to suicide, Peeler said.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rising pressure on Nvidia Huawei’s announcement comes as China promotes homegrown alternatives to Nvidia.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
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The turn of the century saw the advent of rhizobial soil inoculants for improving legume growth, with the FDA promoting such applications.—
Anna Marija Helt,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foment. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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