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

From fake relationships to hidden motives, every character had their own way of stirring up trouble. —Ally Neagen, Glamour, 17 Jan. 2025

Turner's swift removal has stirred up anger from several House Republicans who said they are frustrated with Johnson's handling of the situation. —Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025

The two stirred up conversation and doubts about the bill among lawmakers for hours before Trump or Vice President-elect JD Vance voiced their opposition to the bill. —Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025

Venus retrograde first stirs up past relationship patterns, then turns inward, asking you to redefine love through a more spiritual lens. —Colin Bedell, Them, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1