plant/sow the seeds of
idiom
1
: to cause (an idea, feeling, etc.) to be in someone's mind
Opponents have succeeded in planting/sowing the seeds of suspicion/doubt in our team.
2
: to create a situation in which (something) is likely or certain to happen or develop
They have planted/sowed the seeds of their own destruction.
Examples of plant/sow the seeds of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Poor public communication also helps sow the seeds of FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt).
—
IEEE Spectrum, 24 June 2011
Gross economic inequalities, environmental degradation, and the devastation wrought by the pandemic are what Asians most worry about and what threaten to sow the seeds of future military conflict.
—Thomas Shugart, Foreign Affairs, 1 Dec. 2021
Success Can Breed Blind Spots Success, paradoxically, can plant the seeds of downfall.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Go ahead and sow the seeds of cucumbers, beans, squash and more plus add transplants of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant to the garden, but keep protective covers handy until at least the middle of March.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plant/sow the seeds of
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IEEE Spectrum, 24 June 2011
Gross economic inequalities, environmental degradation, and the devastation wrought by the pandemic are what Asians most worry about and what threaten to sow the seeds of future military conflict.
—Thomas Shugart, Foreign Affairs, 1 Dec. 2021
Success Can Breed Blind Spots Success, paradoxically, can plant the seeds of downfall.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Go ahead and sow the seeds of cucumbers, beans, squash and more plus add transplants of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant to the garden, but keep protective covers handy until at least the middle of March.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plant/sow the seeds of
Cite this Entry
“Plant/sow the seeds of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plant%2Fsow%20the%20seeds%20of. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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