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GRE vocabulary

foment

verbHigh-frequency wordMore F words

to stir up or instigate unrest or trouble

Word origin: From Latin fovere, to warm or foster.

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In a sentence

Foment in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing foment in a sentence.

Agitators sought to foment rebellion among the disaffected workers.

Pamphlets smuggled into the garrison were intended to foment mutiny among the conscripts.

Synonyms
inciteinstigateprovoke

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Verbal · Text Completion

Although the senator's memoir was marketed as a frank reckoning with his failures, reviewers found it relentlessly blank, dwelling on grievances and recasting every setback as the fault of his adversaries.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “foment” well

Foment means to stir up something undesirable, such as rebellion or discord, so it almost always takes a negative object. It is occasionally confused with ferment, though the trouble-stirring sense belongs to foment.

Common questions

Questions about “foment”

Foment (verb) means to stir up or instigate unrest or trouble
Here is foment used in an example sentence: "Agitators sought to foment rebellion among the disaffected workers." Another example: "Pamphlets smuggled into the garrison were intended to foment mutiny among the conscripts."
Common synonyms for foment include incite, instigate, provoke.
Antonyms of foment include quell, suppress, pacify.
Clusters with incite, instigate, and provoke, opposed by quell, suppress, and pacify. Expect negative objects like unrest or dissent, and note ferment as a near look-alike.
Yes. Foment is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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