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
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
Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 26 Mar. 2025
In such moments, Howie’s technique is empirical and precise, a verbal cinematography of acute agitation.
—Joshua Dubler, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitate
Verb
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
Noun
Symptoms specific to spring and summer SAD can include agitation, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and loss of appetite, Dr. Bacow says.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 26 Mar. 2025
In such moments, Howie’s technique is empirical and precise, a verbal cinematography of acute agitation.
—Joshua Dubler, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitate
Verb
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Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.—
Nicole Hopper,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
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Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 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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Trump's punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession, and driven worldwide stocks sharply downward.—
Joe Cash and Trevor Hunnicutt,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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California family discusses ongoing legal and political battle to 'save girls' sports' as issue heats up Taylor and Ryan Starling of Riverside, California discussed their ongoing lawsuit over trans inclusion in girls' sports, speaking at the state capital and all the fallout that has come with it.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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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
Noun
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The patrons went into a frenzy as McIlroy dropped to his knees and started crying, as the dream and goal finally turned into reality.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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About an hour earlier, Charli XCX had sent the crowd into an all-out frenzy with a set that included surprise appearances from Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Troye Sivan.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Consumer sentiment fell sharply in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of declines, as an intensifying trade war fueled anxiety over American jobs and rising inflation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Is loyalty to an old friend and/or anxiety about having a kid reason enough to spend a day or two away from a wife who could go into labor at any minute?—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was popular enough that fans wanted a solo story, but the studio didn't bother to make it until her character was already dead in the major timeline, then skipped the theatrical release, which Johansson sued them about.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
19 Apr. 2025
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So much so that Gillaspie didn’t bother to even grab a towel last summer when a pitching coach yelled into the visiting showers to alert him that Triple-A El Paso manager Pete Zamora needed to see him.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Agitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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