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
Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Sometimes, the frame is transfixed by haunting, practically subliminal changes fomenting on a subconscious level, as Dua is shaken from within, and the remarkable Matoshi doles out nuggets of recognizable emotion from beneath her rock-hard exterior.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Duterte joined Marcos’ ticket to secure a landslide victory in the 2022 national elections, but the two have since become political rivals, fomenting a feud that has thrown the country into political and economic turmoil.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 11 May 2026
The strategy was highly effective, causing power rationing in the capital and fomenting civil chaos.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
But the war that’s threatening global energy supplies, upending geopolitics, fomenting a food crisis and likely to curb global growth long after any ceasefire is the Iran war.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 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
Verb
And in this rote, dutiful steadiness, I was struck by the patient sincerity of it all—and by a sense that these believers were already fomenting, in admittedly small numbers, the kind of unity that Esperanto’s skeptics say the language could never help facilitate.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Sometimes, the frame is transfixed by haunting, practically subliminal changes fomenting on a subconscious level, as Dua is shaken from within, and the remarkable Matoshi doles out nuggets of recognizable emotion from beneath her rock-hard exterior.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Duterte joined Marcos’ ticket to secure a landslide victory in the 2022 national elections, but the two have since become political rivals, fomenting a feud that has thrown the country into political and economic turmoil.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 11 May 2026
The strategy was highly effective, causing power rationing in the capital and fomenting civil chaos.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
But the war that’s threatening global energy supplies, upending geopolitics, fomenting a food crisis and likely to curb global growth long after any ceasefire is the Iran war.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fomenting
Adjective
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Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.—
Namara Smith,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
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The ways the siblings cope with their versions of reality are quite different, quite haunting and quite thought-provoking.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Tom Holland and Zendaya made promoting their new movie look like a casual date moment.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
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The push is being led by tech giant Huawei through the Ultra HD Video Alliance, which is promoting its own HDR Vivid standard as an alternative to the Digital Cinema Initiatives certification framework that has governed cinema projection globally for decades.—
Marcus Lim,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Although more research is needed, GLP-1 drugs trigger metabolic pathways that could be important in regulating inflammation, which is known to be an inciting factor in many different cancers.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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What was the setting and the all-important inciting incident?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The miscommunications have once again put the majority leader in a difficult position, raising questions about why the president seems intent on making his life more difficult.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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Gordon said in kicking off his comments and raising a hand to reveal a rubber finger pad.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Different genes for different cytokines, growth factors or other proteins could be swapped in to target specific diseases of the ocular surface, potentially extending the approach beyond corneal wounds to chronic inflammatory conditions.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
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The technology could eventually treat corneal injuries, severe dry eye disease and other inflammatory disorders of the ocular surface, though it has not yet been tested in humans.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Coming to the glum realization that love isn’t outlasting infatuation is trickier to write about than a more incendiary subject like unfaithfulness, but Rodrigo pulls it off.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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The most incendiary musical comedy of 2025 will advance to the off-Broadway Orpheum Theatre in October, and its creators are marking the show’s return with, not surprisingly, two provocative events.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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Once moved out of the White House, Obama’s fashion choices shifted noticeably away from traditional styles and comparatively conservative first lady silhouettes, towards far more provocative looks that suggested a bold new chapter.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Kuzovkov had been living in exile in Poland since 2021, and he was known for his provocative portraits of Putin, Kadyrov, and other political figures.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Over the years, the film has developed cult classic status for its subversive tone (credited to screenwriter James Gunn) and nostalgic early-2000s aesthetic.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 June 2026
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Ahead, find the five dark June nail colors experts recommend painting on for a subversive summer manicure.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fomenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fomenting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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