as in turmoil
a disturbed or uneasy state
the city was in ferment as its residents nervously awaited the outcome of the referendum vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the various social and economic factors that fermented the major cultural change during the U.S. during the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ferment
Melina Khan, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The blocks are dried and tied with rice straw, and left to ferment naturally.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 May 2026
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Kefir, sauerkraut, pickles and miso are also fermented foods that contribute different microbes to your diet.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferment
Noun
Natural yeasts ferment fruit during the ripening process, according to a study in Oxford Academic.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The blocks are dried and tied with rice straw, and left to ferment naturally.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 May 2026
Verb
Some of these foods are traditionally fermented using live cultures, while others are commercially processed.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Kefir, sauerkraut, pickles and miso are also fermented foods that contribute different microbes to your diet.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferment
Noun
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Gold is a safe-haven asset that investors gravitate toward when economic and political turmoil erupts, sending waves through the markets.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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The new sanctions come as the administration is updating war plans to respond to potential turmoil on the island and after the Justice Department charged Raúl Castro for the murder of four people in the 1996 shootdown of two planes of the exile organization Brothers to the Rescue.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Are they designed to flatter progressive sensibilities or provoke them?—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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Civil-rights movements that challenge an oppressive status quo usually provoke a disproportionate response; in fact, the strategy of nonviolent resistance depends on it.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
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The tequila is distilled on both pot and column stills to create two different styles of spirit after the agave is cooked in autoclaves, and perhaps most interestingly the distillery plays classical music during fermentation.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
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Organic acids, which are produced during fermentation, may influence microbial balance in the gastrointestinal tract, says Soares.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Similar concerns were raised about the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which was followed by a significant curtailment in benefits a few years later.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
5 June 2026
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Set to retail for $5,385, discounts were offered to those who preordered the trolley as part of a crowdfunding drive that raised roughly $1 million.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Noun
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The Next Generation Action Network, a social justice group supporting Anthony, has compared him to Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen acquitted of all charges in 2021 for killing two people during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Police, familiar with unrest in the city, were on standby with cordons of armored cars, which were quickly pelted with projectiles by the rioters.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The probiotics help support gut health by promoting a balanced microbiome, the community of microbes that live in your digestive tract and influence digestion, immunity, and mood.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
8 June 2026
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For years, solid-state batteries have been promoted as the next major breakthrough in electric vehicles, promising greater safety, longer driving range, and faster charging.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ferment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferment. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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