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
1
as in frenzy
a state of wildly excited activity or emotion
knew immediately, from the horses' agitation, that something terrible was happening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anxiety
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
experienced a great deal of agitation over whether she had an appropriate dress for her husband's inauguration
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agitate
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2025
Repeat steps 3 through 5 anywhere from three to four more times until the water remains clean after submerging and agitating the pillowcase.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Both make ice cream by introducing freezing cold temperatures and agitation to an ice cream base mixture, but beyond that the two operate quite differently—and tend to have quite different price points.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitate
Verb
The tech migration to Trump began before the election and helped get him to the White House, as entrepreneurs like Musk and David Sacks raised millions for him and used their platforms to agitate for his election and troll Harris.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2025
Repeat steps 3 through 5 anywhere from three to four more times until the water remains clean after submerging and agitating the pillowcase.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
The company also expects to start phase three trials in Alzheimer’s agitation, Alzheimer’s cognition and bipolar disorder in 2025, while studies in autism will begin in 2026.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Both make ice cream by introducing freezing cold temperatures and agitation to an ice cream base mixture, but beyond that the two operate quite differently—and tend to have quite different price points.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitate
Verb
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Bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds to a boil in a small saucepan over high, stirring often.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
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Drown them with an ample amount of water and stir to confirm that everything is cold to the touch.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Stay on marked trails, pack all your trash, and respect wildlife (do not feed or disturb them).—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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In his State of the State speech Wednesday, Pritzker argued the current moment has disturbing parallels to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany.—
Alex Thompson,
Axios,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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What’s a deadline without a head-scratcher to shake things up?—
Shayna Goldman,
The Athletic,
6 Mar. 2025
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George may be wild about her, but his trust in her is shaken.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In a recent interview with The Art Newspaper, Cave discussed his fondness for the figures, and his ‘The Devil — A Life’ series, which is currently on display at Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar, Netherlands.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
6 Mar. 2025
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Consuelos and Ripa regularly discuss married life on their morning talk show.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Big Tech stocks and companies that rode the artificial intelligence frenzy in recent years have slumped sharply.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2025
-
The meal concluded with a luscious pavlova, but the conversation lingered well into the night, as the fashion week frenzy charged ahead toward its final stretch of shows and soirées.—
Kristen Bateman,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the film, Shear stars as Sam, a once-promising law student whose anxiety has slowly chipped away at his confidence in all areas of his life.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2025
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One possibility is anxiety, which, according to Kaiser, feeds on avoidance.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Gathering at Scripps Research’s third annual Pandemic Preparedness Symposium last week, researchers working in virology and chemistry did not bother to debate whether or not H5N1 avian influenza will clear this rapidly shrinking hurdle.—
Paul Sisson,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
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As Caro settled into life in a new country, one thing often bothered him.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In sumptuously vibrating chords in the first movement of Schubert’s Fantasy, Olafsson’s touch was a little wetter and more muted, Wang’s percussive and as coolly etched as a polygraph.—
Zachary Woolfe,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
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Even the film’s basic exposition, showing Anna working in Klaus’s household and receiving her fateful instructions from Hansen, is richly suggestive of the turmoil vibrating beneath the orderly domestic surface.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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