as in turmoil
a disturbed or uneasy state
the city was in ferment as its residents nervously awaited the outcome of the referendum vote
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ferment
Daniel Mason, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
Fermentation: The pineapple rinds are placed in water with the sugar, and the mixture is left to ferment at room temperature for about 1 to 3 days.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Khloe Quill, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025
There are eight Neapolitan pizzas on the menu using dough fermented over 72 days with a small amount of yeast, Melina said.
—Miguel Otárola, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferment
Noun
The man poured, Chekhov drank, the bubbles from the ferment seemed to rise into his eyes.
—Daniel Mason, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
Fermentation: The pineapple rinds are placed in water with the sugar, and the mixture is left to ferment at room temperature for about 1 to 3 days.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
This includes nourishing the gut with probiotics, which can be found in foods such as yogurt, kimchi and pickles - anything that’s fermented.
—Khloe Quill, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025
There are eight Neapolitan pizzas on the menu using dough fermented over 72 days with a small amount of yeast, Melina said.
—Miguel Otárola, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferment
Noun
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The new duties, which follow Trump’s previous tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada, are set to raise costs and cause turmoil for countless fashion businesses.—
Marc Bain and Joan Kennedy,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
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Stock futures plunged and after-hours trading descended into turmoil as Trump pledged steep tariffs on some of the U.S.'s top trading partners.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House that the administration maintained confidence in Waltz and said the case was effectively closed, even as the breach provoked bipartisan criticism and opened up divisions inside the White House.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
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As an abstraction and comparison machine, Pronouns provokes anxiety, getting at the dangers of correlation.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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They are added to foods and drinks for sweetness, preservation, and fermentation.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
3 Apr. 2025
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The crumb should be light and craggy and the air pockets should be different sizes, signs of good fermentation.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, these updates raise questions about the Oscars broadcast itself.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
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The incident with Lauren had understandably raised questions on whether Weezer’s set would still happen.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In 1968, amid urban unrest eerily similar to the tensions today, dedicated scholars built institutes such as the Urban Institute and Johns Hopkins’ Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research to bring rigorous evidence to bear on pressing social problems.—
Andrew V. Papachristos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
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Political unrest urged by anti-Trump liberals, coupled with attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships due to founder Elon Musk’s close association with the president, appears to be pushing some people to buy guns for self-defense.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In a social media post Sunday, Kennedy promoted two such practitioners who have become popular in West Texas among vaccine-hesitant families: Ben Edwards and Richard Bartlett.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2025
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Musk responded to an X user who shared a video of Navarro promoting tariffs.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferment. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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