as in to rot
to go through decomposition
a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fester
Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Organizations that master this shift to caring candor see dramatic improvements in decision quality and execution speed because problems are identified and addressed early rather than festering beneath the surface.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
On one level, this flurry of proposals to ills that have been festering in California and domestically for years is more posturing than problem solving.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 May 2025
Professionals sucking on lollipops while faraway crises festered and spread.
—Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fester
Verb
More than anything, though, the specter of Joel Embiid’s health hangs over this organization like a festering wound.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Organizations that master this shift to caring candor see dramatic improvements in decision quality and execution speed because problems are identified and addressed early rather than festering beneath the surface.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
On one level, this flurry of proposals to ills that have been festering in California and domestically for years is more posturing than problem solving.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 May 2025
Professionals sucking on lollipops while faraway crises festered and spread.
—Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester
Noun
-
There have been reports of burns, blisters, and lesions in people who used red light devices for longer than 30 minutes, fell asleep while using a device, or used a device that was broken.4 Protect your eyes.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
3 June 2025
-
The tennis star, 27, shared an Instagram Stories post of a cluster of open blisters on her knuckles on Thursday, May 29.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The flesh was rotting off his feet, and his tendons were exposed from frostbite.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2025
-
Also, check for hollows in trunks that may mean the interior portion is rotting.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
City of Richmond map showing which neighborhoods are affected by the boil water advisory.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
-
But simmering domestic tensions are set to a rolling boil by Fehmi’s increasing fascination with the troubled teenager next door.—
Lorraine Berry,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
This multi-agent architecture enables organizations to decompose complex business processes into manageable, specialized components.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Las Vegas Metro Police discovered the body of Matthew Kelemen, 56, decomposing and wrapped in a tarp inside a locked plastic bin near Fremont Street on May 20 after responding to reports of a foul odor, the department wrote in a press release.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Bites from these ants leave a painful sting that produces a red pustule that itches and burns, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
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Its venomous sting causes pustules and allergic reactions and is capable of killing a human.—
Jack Guy,
CNN,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Guinness noted that the actor had to jump out of a helicopter from a minimum height of 7,500 feet — sometimes while wearing a 50-pound camera rig — and that the parachute could only burn for about three seconds before completely disintegrating, forcing Cruise to deploy a backup chute.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
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Instead the vehicle spun out of control and disintegrated during atmospheric reentry.—
Gayoung Lee,
Scientific American,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
Acne Acne is an inflammatory skin condition caused by sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells clogging pores, leading to pimples.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2025
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Under no circumstances should picking at pimples be celebrated.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Mar. 2025
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The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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