as in provoking
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as in promoting
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 fomenting
Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Apr. 2026
Many cops and union officials blamed de Blasio’s support for Black Lives Matter and other protesters against police brutality for fomenting anti-cop sentiment that culminated in the slayings.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
This Jesse Jackson was a dangerous man, a radical, a demagogue, someone who thrived off fomenting racial division.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Chávez himself drew heavily on Fidel Castro’s Cuba in fomenting the ideology, which has ruled over Venezuela since Chávez came to power in a 1998 presidential election.
—Paul Webster Hare, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2026
Khamenei has repeatedly blamed Israel and the United States for fomenting the protests, which broke out in response to deteriorating economic conditions.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest in the country.
—Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Both head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talked Tuesday about fomenting competition in the quarterback room this offseason.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Iranian leaders have accused America and Israel of fomenting the demonstrations, which began in late December over soaring prices and the abrupt collapse of Iran’s national currency.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
Already, Israeli strikes near Iran’s eastern frontier are fomenting instability in Pakistan’s restive province of Balochistan.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Apr. 2026
Many cops and union officials blamed de Blasio’s support for Black Lives Matter and other protesters against police brutality for fomenting anti-cop sentiment that culminated in the slayings.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
This Jesse Jackson was a dangerous man, a radical, a demagogue, someone who thrived off fomenting racial division.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Chávez himself drew heavily on Fidel Castro’s Cuba in fomenting the ideology, which has ruled over Venezuela since Chávez came to power in a 1998 presidential election.
—Paul Webster Hare, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2026
Khamenei has repeatedly blamed Israel and the United States for fomenting the protests, which broke out in response to deteriorating economic conditions.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest in the country.
—Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Both head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talked Tuesday about fomenting competition in the quarterback room this offseason.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Iranian leaders have accused America and Israel of fomenting the demonstrations, which began in late December over soaring prices and the abrupt collapse of Iran’s national currency.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fomenting
Adjective
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In fact, discussions about philosophy, politics and religion might be profound or thought-provoking to you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Gosling voices the film’s thought-provoking questions about victimization and villainy with full commitment, and his rigidity — that tall posture, those limitless eyes — add another layer to the work.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In response to these discoveries, a two-week training program on Silk Road archaeology has been established, aimed at promoting the protection and transmission of Silk Road cultural heritage, as concluded by The Global Times.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
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Her Game Too says it is partnered with 80 of the 92 clubs in the English football pyramid, and a handful of clubs held dedicated fixtures promoting its campaign in the Premier League last season.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While one of the inciting events for establishing the Code of Credits happened to be a crowd of producers onstage at the Oscars, the goal never was to exclude anyone from the profession.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
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Atwood told Wertheim there were several ways into the story, but an inciting event came in 1981, just after former President Ronald Reagan was elected for the office.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the easiest way to start an argument online is to post a video of a mother raising her child.—
Micah Barkley,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Political parties were disincentivized from forming coalitions—which might have unified the anti-Orbán vote—by incrementally raising the threshold required for alliances to enter Parliament.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The president has been condemned for his remarks about Iran and Islam by groups that include the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who called them inflammatory.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In 2010, the Hamden mother was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that affects the lungs and lymph nodes.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Officiating became an incendiary subplot; controversial calls and no-calls stirred the pot in the first half without ever completely derailing the game once Denver and San Antonio got down to business later.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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The tone of negotiations this year has been far less incendiary amid an industry-wide contraction that has hit Hollywood’s writers hard.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The widespread reach of social media has brought videos of war zones and the voices of people living through wars to global audiences, but often provocative images and videos that lack context can spread and be reshared in ways that further strip away context and nuance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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Reportedly shunned by festivals like Sundance and SXSW last year and ignored by distributors, this provocative chamber drama finally gets a theatrical release from a fledgling shingle, Obscured Releasing, this spring.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Through subversive graphics and Americana fashion, the brand bridges Japanese street culture and Western fashion.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
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On a campy and subversive new album featuring Bladee, the Ukrainian black metal artist aspires to make the notoriously forbidding genre a little warmer.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fomenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fomenting. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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