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

People are either very for or against it, and it's stirred up discourse around other films as well. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

Despite those rebuttals, the debate over Greenland’s future has been stirred up by growing speculation over its independence movement. —Jack Guy, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images DAMASCUS, Syria — President Trump has already stirred up the Middle East by suggesting a U.S. takeover of Gaza and the relocation of its 2 million Palestinian residents. —Greg Myre, NPR, 12 Feb. 2025

But at the risk of stirring up a hornet’s nest, Trump’s tactics are actually working — so far. —Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1