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

Like Kneecap, heard in the previous episode, the group has stirred up controversy with its political views, specifically its use of the Palestinian flag onstage during live performances. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025

The series introduced Rosner’s Liam at the end of Season 3 as Maggie’s old summer fling who’d returned to seemingly stir up trouble. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025

In Tactics, the Church weaponizes religion to whip people into a frenzy, stirring up conflict by demonizing entire groups. —Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025

The polar vortex is stirring up, bringing the earliest hints that the weather is changing with the new fall season. —Brandi D. Addison, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stir up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup