stir up

verb

stirred up; stirring up; stirs up

transitive verb

1

: to cause (someone) to feel a strong emotion and a desire to do something

The speech stirred up the crowd.

2

: to cause (something) to move up into and through the air or water

The workers stirred up a lot of dust.

3

: to cause (something, usually something bad or unpleasant) to happen

They're trying to stir up trouble.

But, of course, there's a reason politicians generally try to communicate deliberately: It helps them avoid saying things that might offend voters or stir up controversy.

—Philip Bump

I'm not a rebel, trying to stir things up just to be provocative.

—Norma Klein

… the incident stirred up a hornet's nest of protest and indignation.

—Robert T. Martinott

Examples of stir up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As if the country’s domestic problems were not enough, in recent months, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has stirred up new tensions with neighboring Somalia, become entangled in Sudan’s civil war, and even made threatening gestures toward Eritrea, which had been Abiy’s ally in the Tigrayan war. —Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024

But the home team didn’t do much to stir up the home crowd, with just 16 shots on goal in three periods. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

Wear a mask to avoid inhaling fungal spores stirred up by raking. —USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024

However, in the current political climate where reproductive rights are constantly under assault by conservative pundits and politicians, the seemingly innocuous act went viral after fans tweeted out the materials, stirring up a fair share of praise and controversy. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2024

This pet-friendly brewery assures that even if the breakup stirs up some melancholy, man’s best friend won’t be far away. —The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024

These new techniques have allowed the NHU to capture remarkable behaviors on film for the first time in history, such as dolphins stirring up mud to trap fish, or killer whales beaching themselves to hunt sea lions. —Graeme Green, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

The friendly staff are quick to recommend a flight of beer to fit your tastes, or stir up a tasty cocktail, like a spicy-tequila Serrano Mi Hermano or a pineapple-rum Pirates Poison. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

From First Wives to Housewives, Bette Midler is ready to stir up some drama. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1