agitate 1 of 2

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as in to stir
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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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

agitation

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noun

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of agitate
Verb
Rank-and-file Democrats are mad at their own leaders and increasingly agitating to replace them. Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 With players agitating for equal treatment and the public asking questions, the NCAA hired a law firm to conduct a gender equity assessment. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
That means reducing aggression, agitation, and sleep disturbances. Dr. Sabooh Mubbashar, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2025 This workshop will cover what causes agitation, and how to assess and manage it. Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for agitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitate
Verb
  • Leia forms the Resistance Senator Leia Organa discovers a new danger stirring in the galaxy: the First Order.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
  • Transfer onions to a medium bowl and stir in Worcestershire sauce.
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • However, some 3,000 years ago—around the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age—newcomers to the area disturbed the burial site by removing parts of the mound and displacing stones.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2025
  • Solar flares can disturb Earth's ionosphere, for instance, briefly disrupting high-frequency radio signals and leading to brief radio blackouts on the daylit side of the planet during the flare event.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) after a signing ceremony following their bilateral talks at Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, on June 19, 2024.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • For me, a perfect beach bag starts with a lightweight, oversized tote that’s easy to shake the sand out of—preferably a mesh or water-resistant style.
    Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell met with U.S. President Donald Trump today at the White House to discuss the state of the economy.
    Niamh Rowe, Quartz, 29 May 2025
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed the return of the artifacts in a meeting with Canadian Catholic Cardinals in Rome this month ahead of Leo’s first mass, Jaime Battiste, a member of parliament who was also at the meeting, told the Canadian Press.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • The dampened investor mood over AI — relative to the frenzy over the theme in 2024, at least — doesn’t reflect the priorities of companies, which are still spending on AI infrastructure and leveraging the technology to find new revenue streams.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 May 2025
  • The company hit that once unfathomable goal by the third quarter of 2024, and the company’s market capitalization has skyrocketed by another 370% since to $125 billion, amid a frenzy for anything remotely AI-adjacent.
    Matt Durot, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Millennials courageously started talking openly about therapy, anxiety, and depression, breaking decades of stigma.
    Charell G. Coleman, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Trousdale’s songs adroitly address female empowerment, loss, heartbreak, anxiety, mental health and other subjects while striking a winning balance between melancholia and buoyancy.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • After years of ‘losing culture,’ can the new-look Chicago Bears turn things around on defense? Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard didn’t bother mincing words.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
  • Users do have to purchase such gadgets, learn how to utilize them, and put them on their body, however, which are all steps that many folks simply won't bother taking.
    Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • With an electropop base, an irresistible electric bass groove and enveloping harmonies, the song vibrates between what was and what will no longer be.
    Luisa Calle, Billboard, 23 May 2025
  • The soundtrack is a buffet of rapturous period jazz, some of it silky, some of it vibrating with skittery energy, much like Martial Solal’s score for Breathless itself.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Agitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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