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
Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fomenting
Adjective
-
Indeed, Lee’s work tends to be rich, thought-provoking, and hyper-personal, but fully engaging in her use of clever materials and the occasional laugh-out-loud punchline.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
13 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
-
The former First Lady, 62, delivered one show-stopping ensemble after another while promoting her book The Look.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened last year an investigation into TikTok over allegations that the platform allows content promoting suicide and that its algorithms may encourage vulnerable young people to take their own lives.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The inciting moment comes when Austin and Ashley witness a violent argument between Josh and Lindsay.—
Ryan Brennan
April 16,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
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The incident was captured on camera by a freelance news videographer and appeared to show Evans acting calm and raising his hands in the air when an officer fired a bean bag round that struck him in the stomach, dropping him to the ground.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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While much of the world’s economy has shown resilience in the face of the worst disruption to energy supplies in modern times, the knock-on effects of the conflict are starting to push up inflation while raising alarm bells about food supplies and prompting downgrades to economic growth.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sitting for long stretches, whether at a desk or while commuting, can slow circulation and trigger the release of inflammatory chemicals.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Results from oral microbiome testing also revealed a link between blood pressure decrease and fewer inflammatory oral bacteria.—
Christina Manian,
Health,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Evangelicals have mostly stuck by Trump, even with prominent defectors such as Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore and New York Times columnist David French railing against widespread Christian support for the president, given his personal life and tendency to make incendiary statements.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The device that officers initially believed to be incendiary turned out to be a jar of mouthwash with a rag inside.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That clear reference to a certain occupant of the White House and his political movement is by no means McKenzie’s most provocative statement on matters of urgent relevance.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This is the 11th anniversary of this often provocative and consistently pleasing festival, with films screening from April 24 to May 3 at the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center, and it is embellished by something new.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Likewise, David Rockwell’s set, an elegant Art Deco dining and drawing room where much of the action unfolds, provides a stylish backdrop to the proceedings, while the chandelier that soars over the stage also serves as a sight gag that ends the show on a slyly subversive note.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Onion, now under the ownership of tech exec Jeff Lawson, has been rebooting itself in a bid to return to its subversive comedy roots.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fomenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fomenting. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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