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

With his release from Israeli prison demanded by Fatah’s rival, Hamas, and even advocated by a former Israeli spy chief, the mere possibility of Mr. Barghouti’s return to the scene is stirring up Palestinian politics, and hope, at a historic crossroads. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024

The recent four-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 pandemic declaration stirred up some dormant anxiety. —Wes Moss, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Scientists knew early on that the nuclear power plant’s cooling system would stir up the ocean and degrade nearby kelp beds. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024

The comedian — who stirred up controversy and received backlash from the LGBTQ+ community after making transphobic jokes in his 2021 Netflix standup special The Closer — has said his family prefers the quiet of their Ohio life. —Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has found herself at the center of a web of conspiracy theories about her wellness, whereabouts, and Photoshop capabilities; King Charles was recently diagnosed with cancer; and The Crown stirred up more intrigue than ever about the living royals’ lives. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1