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

Meanwhile, Stevie Nicks stirred up some pre-Halloween musical magic during an Oct. 30 Toronto stop on Fleetwood Mac's Behind the Mask tour. —John Russell, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

To avoid stirring up sediment that would have clouded the photo, Gross followed paths through the lily pads cleared by swimming beavers. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024

And since every great shrimp recipe deserves a tasty dipping sauce, stir up the chef's special Elvie's Remoulade, inspired by his grandmother’s recipe. —Hunter Evans, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2024

Election seasons tend to stir up collective anxiety, amplified by relentless negative news cycles and uncertainty about the future. —Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1