1
2
as in to disturb
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
there's no need to agitate the patient about little things
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to discuss
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agitate
Musselman, agitated, barked at referees on their way off the floor.
—
Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2025
Fill the bucket with water and carefully (with rubber dish gloves) submerge the stained garment in the water, agitating slightly.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025
Astronauts will initiate the fermentation in space by adding water to the device, which will monitor the level of alcohol and mechanically agitate the mash to achieve successful fermentation.
—Akiko Katayama, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Neither country wants the burden of millions of desperate Gazans who will agitate to return home to Palestine.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitate
Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2025
Fill the bucket with water and carefully (with rubber dish gloves) submerge the stained garment in the water, agitating slightly.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025
Astronauts will initiate the fermentation in space by adding water to the device, which will monitor the level of alcohol and mechanically agitate the mash to achieve successful fermentation.
—Akiko Katayama, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Neither country wants the burden of millions of desperate Gazans who will agitate to return home to Palestine.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitate
Verb
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Combine Ingredients In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, garlic powder, and salt.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2025
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The united court verdict and its immediate acceptance by South Korea’s two major political parties stirred hope that the young democracy can turn the page on the martial law fiasco – a jarring reminder for many citizens of the country’s dark legacy of military dictatorship as recently as the 1980s.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
Christian Science Monitor,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2025
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What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The back-and-forth over tariffs shook confidence in U.S. leadership, exposed fractures within Trump’s team and rattled companies that rely on global sources for products and international customers for sales.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
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The 31 percent tariff imposed on Switzerland by U.S. President Donald Trump’s new policy has shaken the luxury watch industry.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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It is not believed to be on the agenda at its quarterly meetings in Zimbabwe from April 11-13, but likely to be discussed, perhaps informally.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Howell discussed the increasing strain on Hollywood producers.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
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Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.—
Jay Cost,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The shock of the President Trump tariffs still vibrates through the world.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The vibrating bar also assists with lymphatic drainage, ably contouring, defining, and depuffing the face.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Callahan said the uncertainty is why many are debating whether to buy or sell shares and why companies such as Klarna, StubHub and Chime are reportedly delaying their initial public offerings.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
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Such historical revelations, belatedly publicized and debated, were necessary, yet immeasurably painful.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
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Cameras captured her walking around on the grass before getting distracted and Jordan swooping her up to get to their next hole.—
Nasha Smith,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitate. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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