as in to rot
to go through decomposition
a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields
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Recent Examples of fester
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Contreras has had a long-festering feud with the Brewers throughout his career, but the 24 hit-by-pitches in 121 games against the Brewers are the most hit-by-pitches by one team against any active player.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
But the outcry marked a tidal shift in sentiment and exposed long-festering resentments.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
For years, this debate between stricter codes and affordable housing festered behind the scenes, including at the obscure International Code Council, which brings together government officials, contractors, appliance makers and others to lay the groundwork for model codes.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fester
Verb
This film has likely been festering a good while.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Contreras has had a long-festering feud with the Brewers throughout his career, but the 24 hit-by-pitches in 121 games against the Brewers are the most hit-by-pitches by one team against any active player.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
But the outcry marked a tidal shift in sentiment and exposed long-festering resentments.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
For years, this debate between stricter codes and affordable housing festered behind the scenes, including at the obscure International Code Council, which brings together government officials, contractors, appliance makers and others to lay the groundwork for model codes.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester
Verb
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Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
Soggy soil can cause rot, and overwatering can cause the leaves to turn yellow.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
McIlroy refused to cite the blister, which first cropped up on Friday, as a reason for his performance.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 May 2026
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Not one blister made its way onto my feet, and my toes felt free to move around even with the shoe’s regular versus wide fit.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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From a nearby dumpster there came the sweet and musty smell of decomposing seafood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
Noun
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While the baking soda is sitting, bring another pot of baking soda to a boil and slowly pour it back down the drain once the ten minutes are up.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
-
Raise the heat a bit and bring the sauce to a boil.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Indeed, with Iran’s refusal to end hostilities on unfavorable terms and willingness to fight to the end, alongside Israel’s belligerence and desire to disintegrate the Iranian state, risks of further escalation remain.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In animals, the bacterium causes pustules and lesions, predominantly in cattle, sheep, and horses.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
11 May 2026
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Spoiler alert: The monster is definitely real, a lion-bear hybrid covered in disgusting bloody pustules.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And what with all the love and pain, something in me softened—or maybe decayed.—
Eva Wiseman,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
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The depressions in watermelon around seeds are also more liable to decay than the solid flesh of seedless types.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Initial staph symptoms include skin reactions resembling pimples, boils or other conditions.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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Pain That Feels Disproportionate HS lesions are often deeper and more painful than typical pimples or ingrown hairs.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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