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
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 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
The real issues were that Venezuela has great oil resources and has been fomenting instability by offering a hemispheric base for China, Russia and Iran.
—John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The Hong Kong government appears to be wary of fomenting discontent that could snowball into mass demonstrations like in 2019, when widespread anti-establishment protests consumed the city.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Midterm elections will see congressional battlegrounds in states where fast-rising electric bills or data center hotspots — or both — are fomenting community uprisings.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
Violence is not the answer, but calling out Trump for fomenting it, and advising Minnesotans to record agents on the streets, seems like a measured response.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 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
The real issues were that Venezuela has great oil resources and has been fomenting instability by offering a hemispheric base for China, Russia and Iran.
—John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The Hong Kong government appears to be wary of fomenting discontent that could snowball into mass demonstrations like in 2019, when widespread anti-establishment protests consumed the city.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Midterm elections will see congressional battlegrounds in states where fast-rising electric bills or data center hotspots — or both — are fomenting community uprisings.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fomenting
Adjective
-
The characterizations are complex and thought-provoking, and the descriptions of the natural world put the reader right there.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
-
The 2024 three-part docuseries American Nightmare dives headfirst into several thought-provoking issues, like victim blaming and the glaring inadequacies in the criminal justice system.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The build has felt oddly subdued for much of the month, largely because the focus shifted toward promoting the quarterly Peacock special instead.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The conversations around politics were largely unfolding at panels, such as the American Civil Liberties Union event attended by DuVernay, and as the stars were promoting their films on red carpets ahead of their premieres.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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That’s the inciting incident of the new Paramount+ series Little Disasters, based on the Sarah Vaughan novel of the same name.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The brief relapse of James’ sister Lydia’s secret love for Graham Sutton is the inciting incident that leads to Ruby and James’ meeting.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Along with her late husband, the pair founded VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit dedicated to raising social awareness and aiding community causes in Boston, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden proposed raising the corporate tax rate.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Over the next few months, these two tabloids would produce an immense volume of increasingly inflammatory reports on this shooting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Demonstrators have taken to the streets in response to the shootings, accusing federal authorities of excessive force, while law enforcement officials warn that misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric have fueled anger and confrontations.—
Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As Bratton noted, unpacking all of this is where a thorough investigation is helpful and incendiary rhetoric from the highest political office in the country is not.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Progressives have long argued — often rightly — that incendiary rhetoric from public officials can legitimize harassment, intimidation, and violence.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Tyler brought the same provocative, chaotic self-expression into his solo career in 2009 with the mixtape Bastard, then broke into Billboard’s top five with his studio albums Goblin (2011), Wolf (2013) Cherry Bomb (2015) and Flower Boy (2017).—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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However, a highlight was a measured but provocative speech from Monet about mentorship, nepotism and gatekeeping in the music industry.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, whose resume in this genre includes the Aquaman movies as well as HBO’s subversive Watchmen series, is our self-sabotaging would-be hero, Simon Williams, a struggling actor first seen getting fired from American Horror Story for overthinking a minor role.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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Now back on the press circuit promoting The Moment as Charli xcx’s right-hand brat, Skarsgård stayed true to his subversive style by bringing a completely inappropriate, somehow incredibly sexy shoe to Sundance Film Festival.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fomenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fomenting. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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