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
The 2012 publication of Sunken Hazard, a report from the National Wildlife Federation about the potential for a spill from Line 5, fomented public concern and launched an advocacy movement that began with questions about Line 5’s safety and has led to calls for its complete shutdown.
—
Mike Shriberg, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
And to those trying to incite violence against us, those trying to foment hatred against us.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
By avoiding the backlash and chaos Musk fomented, can the 53-year-old VC show that a smaller government can be more efficient?
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Many of the racist, nativist vulgarities spoken out loud in Paul Thomas Anderson’s marvelous new film One Battle After Another evoke sentiments that, in our world, first fomented online.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foment
Mike Shriberg, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
And to those trying to incite violence against us, those trying to foment hatred against us.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
By avoiding the backlash and chaos Musk fomented, can the 53-year-old VC show that a smaller government can be more efficient?
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Many of the racist, nativist vulgarities spoken out loud in Paul Thomas Anderson’s marvelous new film One Battle After Another evoke sentiments that, in our world, first fomented online.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foment
Verb
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Throughout the weekend, McIlroy and other European players sparred with fans, provoking the Irish golfer in at least one instance to yell back at the crowd, while others flashed middle fingers in response to the jeers.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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Yet, as many observers predicted, attempts to extend transatlantic cohesion through NATO expansion ultimately provoked a Russian reaction that a transatlantic relationship premised on economic cooperation might not have had.—
JENNIFER KAVANAGH,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To promote what executives described as modern ways of working, Elanco changed blueprint plans several times over the course of half a decade.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
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Spotify has also hastened the demise of the album, as well as a world where the final product is used to promote the tour, rather than vice versa, alongside other pieces of merchandise like a T-shirt or poster.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foment. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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