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 scene shocked the world: President Donald Trump inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Oval Office on February 28, only to verbally attack him in front of the media and accuse him of fomenting World War III.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
But analysts, diplomats and even Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, point to another, newer factor helping foment the chaos in Colombia: neighboring Venezuela.
—Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
India accuses Pakistan of fomenting violence, a charge denied by Islamabad.
—Time, 25 Apr. 2025
They're being attacked for this entirely fake reason that's furthermore fomenting antisemitism in the United States.
—Destinee Adams, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foment
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
But analysts, diplomats and even Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, point to another, newer factor helping foment the chaos in Colombia: neighboring Venezuela.
—Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
India accuses Pakistan of fomenting violence, a charge denied by Islamabad.
—Time, 25 Apr. 2025
They're being attacked for this entirely fake reason that's furthermore fomenting antisemitism in the United States.
—Destinee Adams, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foment
Verb
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But if Washington follows a few principles, such improvements will not necessarily provoke Chinese aggression.—
Oriana Skylar Mastro,
Foreign Affairs,
20 May 2025
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Doctors gave her Pitocin, a medication used to provoke contractions, and a Foley balloon, which is a catheter-like device that gets the cervix to dilate.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Teens running social media accounts, promoting school events, or launching small ventures can immediately implement these strategies.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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To take Bregman’s place on the roster, the Red Sox promoted top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer, who started at third base and batted sixth in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foment. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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