stir up

verb

stirred up; stirring up; stirs up

transitive verb

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

I'm not a rebel, trying to stir things up just to be provocative.

—Norma Klein

… the incident stirred up a hornet's nest of protest and indignation.

—Robert T. Martinott

Examples of stir up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One of her TikToks filmed while exploring a cemetery reached 2.7 million viewers and stirred up a host of mixed reactions. —Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024

Potent influences tug us one way and then another as the Moon squares Venus, stirring up the desire for comfort. —Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2024

Subscribe to the Daily Briefing today – Today's Top Stories • Back-to-back attacks in downtown Cincinnati stir up safety concerns. —Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 12 June 2024

The classic superhero archetype stirs up visions of an indestructible superhuman whose body alone could withstand anything that comes its way. —Scott A. Roth, Parents, 10 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1