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 experience has been nothing short of inspiring, stirring up deep reflection on my own journey as a tech founder and entrepreneur. —Brent Gleeson, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

The show seems to like to stir up controversy every few years, often under the guise of building a dramatic redemption narrative around a problematic celebrity. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024

The crew also encounters David (Fassbender), who has made the planet his experimental laboratory and stirs up trouble for everyone. —Rendy Jones, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2024

Wednesday's key inflation reading could stir up volatility again in a stock market that just experienced shockingly wild swings, and JPMorgan strategists are advising clients on options trades for protection against any surprises in the economic data. —Yun Li, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1