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
Janet Jackson and Maxwell are stirring up headlines after making a recent public appearance together at the 1,500th performance of Cabaret at London’s Kit Kat Club.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 8 July 2025
Higher terrains saw even more activity, and storms and wind gusts stirred up desert dust.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 July 2025
It's turned out to be a lucky thing for modern civilization, and Hollywood, that dinosaurs, unlike most monsters, don’t seem to stir up any deep, primal discomfort.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 June 2025
The three-day wedding celebrations being held in Venice by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are stirring up global media buzz.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stir up
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Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 8 July 2025
Higher terrains saw even more activity, and storms and wind gusts stirred up desert dust.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 July 2025
It's turned out to be a lucky thing for modern civilization, and Hollywood, that dinosaurs, unlike most monsters, don’t seem to stir up any deep, primal discomfort.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 June 2025
The three-day wedding celebrations being held in Venice by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are stirring up global media buzz.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stir up
Cite this Entry
“Stir up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stir%20up. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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