as in turmoil
a disturbed or uneasy state
the city was in ferment as its residents nervously awaited the outcome of the referendum vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to provoke
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
the various social and economic factors that fermented the major cultural change during the U.S. during the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ferment
Melina Khan, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The blocks are dried and tied with rice straw, and left to ferment naturally.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 May 2026
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Kefir, sauerkraut, pickles and miso are also fermented foods that contribute different microbes to your diet.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferment
Noun
Natural yeasts ferment fruit during the ripening process, according to a study in Oxford Academic.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The blocks are dried and tied with rice straw, and left to ferment naturally.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 May 2026
Verb
Some of these foods are traditionally fermented using live cultures, while others are commercially processed.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Kefir, sauerkraut, pickles and miso are also fermented foods that contribute different microbes to your diet.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferment
Noun
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Gold is a safe-haven asset that investors gravitate toward when economic and political turmoil erupts, sending waves through the markets.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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The new sanctions come as the administration is updating war plans to respond to potential turmoil on the island and after the Justice Department charged Raúl Castro for the murder of four people in the 1996 shootdown of two planes of the exile organization Brothers to the Rescue.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The Lounge hosts rotating art exhibits, spotlighting thought-provoking pieces like ceramics from Thai artist Bathma Kaew-Ngok and showstopping floral arrangements by Naomi Daimaru.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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For years, people took photos of themselves on the 666 to Hel and shared them on social media, relishing the coincidence of a bus to a beach resort provoking mental images of damnation, thanks to the similarity of the town's name to the English word hell.—
Anna Noryskiewicz,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The tequila is distilled on both pot and column stills to create two different styles of spirit after the agave is cooked in autoclaves, and perhaps most interestingly the distillery plays classical music during fermentation.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
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Organic acids, which are produced during fermentation, may influence microbial balance in the gastrointestinal tract, says Soares.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Similar concerns were raised about the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which was followed by a significant curtailment in benefits a few years later.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
5 June 2026
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Set to retail for $5,385, discounts were offered to those who preordered the trolley as part of a crowdfunding drive that raised roughly $1 million.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Noun
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Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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But its popularity didn’t spread beyond the northern Spanish city until the domestic unrest that had blighted the Basque region dissipated in the 2010s.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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An electric boat promotes responsible experiences, operating emission-free and with reduced noise pollution.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Three researchers, two of whom have since gone on to bigger and better successes, Vinay Prasad and Tracey Beth Hoeg, explained in detail how committed the CDC was to promoting masks.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ferment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferment. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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