stir up
verb
stirred up; stirring up; stirs up
1
: to cause (someone) to feel a strong emotion and a desire to do something
The speech stirred up the crowd.
2
: to cause (something) to move up into and through the air or water
The workers stirred up a lot of dust.
3
: to cause (something, usually something bad or unpleasant) to happen
They're trying to stir up trouble.
But, of course, there's a reason politicians generally try to communicate deliberately: It helps them avoid saying things that might offend voters or stir up controversy.—
Philip Bump
Philip BumpI'm not a rebel, trying to stir things up just to be provocative.—Norma Klein
Norma Klein… the incident stirred up a hornet's nest of protest and indignation.—Robert T. Martinott
Robert T. MartinottExamples of stir up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These new techniques have allowed the NHU to capture remarkable behaviors on film for the first time in history, such as dolphins stirring up mud to trap fish, or killer whales beaching themselves to hunt sea lions.
—Graeme Green, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
The friendly staff are quick to recommend a flight of beer to fit your tastes, or stir up a tasty cocktail, like a spicy-tequila Serrano Mi Hermano or a pineapple-rum Pirates Poison.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
From First Wives to Housewives, Bette Midler is ready to stir up some drama.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024
This was geek heaven for Asher, who got to speak with specialists in planetary defense (news flash: no known asteroids are on track to hit Earth) and space resources (evidently ice on the moon’s polar caps is stirring up a lot of interest).
—Leslie Camhi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024
As Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers and his mother Mary, her brother Judas is busy stirring up resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024
The film is the most comprehensive feature to date on the subject and is hoping to stir up a movement around regenerating the food system.
—Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
And people do care — TV news personalities occupy an outsized stature in the community, so much so that their comings and goings stir up interest; even a vacation can be cause for alarm among viewers.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2024
But the reflections stirred up by this scenario lack the weight to leave the audience ruminating on them for long.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
Graeme Green, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
The friendly staff are quick to recommend a flight of beer to fit your tastes, or stir up a tasty cocktail, like a spicy-tequila Serrano Mi Hermano or a pineapple-rum Pirates Poison.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
From First Wives to Housewives, Bette Midler is ready to stir up some drama.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024
This was geek heaven for Asher, who got to speak with specialists in planetary defense (news flash: no known asteroids are on track to hit Earth) and space resources (evidently ice on the moon’s polar caps is stirring up a lot of interest).
—Leslie Camhi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024
As Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers and his mother Mary, her brother Judas is busy stirring up resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024
The film is the most comprehensive feature to date on the subject and is hoping to stir up a movement around regenerating the food system.
—Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
And people do care — TV news personalities occupy an outsized stature in the community, so much so that their comings and goings stir up interest; even a vacation can be cause for alarm among viewers.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2024
But the reflections stirred up by this scenario lack the weight to leave the audience ruminating on them for long.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stir up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stir up
Cite this Entry
“Stir up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stir%20up. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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