: a beginning of motion or activity : movement
—often used in plural
the first stirrings of revolution
Examples of stirring in a Sentence
Adjective
a stirring rendition of the national anthem
the message of brotherhood in Martin Luther King's stirring “I Have a Dream” speech still resonates today
Noun
I thought I detected a slight stirring of the leaves, and yet there wasn't a breath of wind.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Blake Lively has penned a stirring tribute to her Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg, who died today at the age of 39.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
Apart from the stirrings of older Indian, Ottoman, and Persian power centers, the most important difference today is the displacement of Japan by China as the central player in the Asian balance of power.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for stirring
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.
Adjective
Two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman, who was found dead last week with his wife in New Mexico, received a stirring tribute from friend and collaborator Morgan Freeman.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Blake Lively has penned a stirring tribute to her Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg, who died today at the age of 39.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
But its early stirrings emerged in McKinley’s foreign policy and its philosophical underpinnings.
—Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
Apart from the stirrings of older Indian, Ottoman, and Persian power centers, the most important difference today is the displacement of Japan by China as the central player in the Asian balance of power.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for stirring
Cite this Entry
“Stirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stirring. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share