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
-
Ambitious, thought-provoking, thrilling and passionate.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
Then on May 1, amid the full moon in Scorpio, Venus will harmonize with Saturn in Aries, presenting the opportunity for something fun and thought-provoking to become real.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
That includes signs and, yes, hats, t-shirts, buttons, stickers or other clothing promoting a particular candidate or initiative.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Of course, the pivotal thing was to create an inciting incident that propels the story without clunky exposition.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
He was recently asked about raising taxes on the rich.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Last year’s conference-final loss to the Florida Panthers — an ugly result for an overmatched roster that had spent the regular season outkicking its coverage, maximizing its performance and raising expectations to an unreasonable level — is on that ledger, too.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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In many Ebola patients, this response can go overboard, causing a frenzy of immunological activity known as a cytokine storm – named for the proteins that stoke an inflammatory response.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
2 June 2026
-
Scientists are now exploring whether these drugs could also help treat inflammatory conditions like migraine.—
Sukhman Rekhi,
Verywell Health,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
On it, the two trade not just verses but a series of escalating, truly incendiary guitar solos, Springsteen watching Morello intently and nodding encouragement and approval, before Morello handing the reins back to Springsteen.—
Caryn Rose,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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Investigators from its major crimes unit believe the fire was deliberately set, police said, and one of the teenagers — a 15-year-old girl — is facing charges of arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Make your kick-off intriguing or provocative to inspire viewers to read on.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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And not all of his merchandise is provocative.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Going avant-garde with a subversive basic top for one of your first tunnel walks has to go down in WNBA history.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Fela was constantly sparring with the authorities, through open-air sessions of searing commentary at his clubhouse, subversive lyrics and confrontation with officers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fomenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fomenting. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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