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

The Leo full moon also stirs up themes of home and family for you on the 12th, pushing you to reevaluate what security truly means to you. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025

As the fish return to spawn in the rivers and streams where they were hatched, bottlenecks like dams stir up pinniped feeding frenzies. —Cheryl Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025

In a game back in early December, Young stirred up the crowd with another signature moment—this time, mimicking a dice roll celebration after helping his team clinch a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. —Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025

For locals in southern New Mexico and western Texas, the entrance of a new neighbor – the U.S. military – is stirring up a mixture of hope, distrust, and uncertainty. —Riley Robinson, Christian Science Monitor, 17 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stir up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup