as in provoking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
The hearing itself relitigated the Republican narrative that cities run by Democratic mayors are impeding federal immigration enforcement efforts and fomenting crime within their borders.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
His critics have accused him of fomenting anti-vaccine sentiment there, and putting children at risk by discouraging immunization.
—Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Millenarian prophets associated it with empire, persecution, and decadence, often fomenting social unrest and rebellion.
—Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
The government has accused Russia, and its ally Belarus, of fomenting a migration crisis on the EU’s eastern border with Belarus in order to create chaos and division in the EU.
—Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
What’s certain, however, is that NASA, the commercial space sector, and nations around the globe are fomenting their desires to renew lunar exploration.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
One of the great joys of serving in the United States military is that soldiers from many different backgrounds and races learn to come together as a unit to complete the mission at hand, but the Biden Administration seemed hellbent on creating and fomenting racial division.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
These groups are purposefully spending millions to attack companies, fomenting polarization to support their views, with no regard for the personal wellbeing of millions of employees, or the financial wellbeing of corporations and their shareholders.
—Paolo Gaudiano, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
The effort kicked off last summer, when 74 fellows (out of roughly 1,600) sent a letter to the Royal Society’s leadership, reportedly out of concern that Musk’s X posts were fomenting racial violence in the United Kingdom and could therefore bring the institution into disrepute.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
The hearing itself relitigated the Republican narrative that cities run by Democratic mayors are impeding federal immigration enforcement efforts and fomenting crime within their borders.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
His critics have accused him of fomenting anti-vaccine sentiment there, and putting children at risk by discouraging immunization.
—Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Millenarian prophets associated it with empire, persecution, and decadence, often fomenting social unrest and rebellion.
—Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
The government has accused Russia, and its ally Belarus, of fomenting a migration crisis on the EU’s eastern border with Belarus in order to create chaos and division in the EU.
—Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
What’s certain, however, is that NASA, the commercial space sector, and nations around the globe are fomenting their desires to renew lunar exploration.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
One of the great joys of serving in the United States military is that soldiers from many different backgrounds and races learn to come together as a unit to complete the mission at hand, but the Biden Administration seemed hellbent on creating and fomenting racial division.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
These groups are purposefully spending millions to attack companies, fomenting polarization to support their views, with no regard for the personal wellbeing of millions of employees, or the financial wellbeing of corporations and their shareholders.
—Paolo Gaudiano, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fomenting
Adjective
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Venture Colonialism There is arguably no single scholar more well versed, incisive, and thought provoking than Stern in analyzing the evolution of joint-stock corporations in the British Empire.—
Caroline Elkins,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Aug. 2023
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Her work is technically amazing, thought provoking and has tons of heart.—
Heide Janssen,
Orange County Register,
17 Mar. 2024
Verb
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Meanwhile Russia is promoting drone awareness in children in other ways, down to children’s cartoons in which characters use their videogame skills to pilot drones delivering toys.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
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The simple and accessible name is helping the brand and its followers create a one-of-a-kind community on all social media platforms, empowering innovative voices to join together in promoting hair health online.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The suit alleges that millions of Times articles were used without authorization in training AI models, raising fundamental questions about intellectual property rights in the digital age.—
Sol Rashidi,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
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The biggest hurdle is raising the $160,000 needed to send 21 students and four chaperones across the Atlantic.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
Journal Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The first acts like an alarm bell for the immune system, starting the inflammatory process when the body detects an infection or injury.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Apr. 2025
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This might mean describing the science of the inflammatory condition or using an analogy.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Authorities previously alleged that in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 13, Cody Balmer, 38, scaled a wall outside Shapiro’s Harrisburg, Pa., mansion, smashed windows and threw homemade incendiary devices inside before entering himself.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Video surveillance of the incident shows that the suspect climbed over a fence before breaking into the governor’s home through the piano room windows and throwing in an incendiary device, according to the affidavit.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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By the end, some of the provocative moves with the rattling bone piles will likely fuel criticism from the usual close-minded detractors.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
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And while the notion that Lennon and Ono came to understand America through its television programming is provocative, too frequently the collage of grim news and glib ads leans toward the tritely ironic.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The tools offer exciting new clues to how people living in the area thousands of years ago may have lived and interacted.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
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Outside of Matthews’ single shot, the most exciting chance the line created was an out-of-character clapper from Marner off the rush that was more of a novelty than a high-danger look.—
Nick Ashbourne,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fomenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fomenting. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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