agitating 1 of 2

agitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of agitate
1
as in stirring
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly this room could use a ceiling fan to agitate the stuffy air a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of agitating
Verb
One of the loudest voices in the cattle world agitating against the border reopening is Bill Bullard, the CEO of R-CALF, a national association of independent cattle and sheep farmers. Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 Eritreans began agitating for independence in the 1960s, which only happened after decades of war and a regime change in Ethiopia. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 Too much precarity, too little success, and too much commitment to naturally-occurring outcomes means that openly agitating for more diversity can be a nonstarter. Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this. Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Kucherov’s 51 points in 42 career regular-season games and agitating awesomeness against Florida have him at the top of the list. Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 25 July 2026 Washing machines take care of that with their tumbling or agitating action. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026 After that, the day shift starts agitating for a pizza party. Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026 What Elliott did not know in 2024, Kapur says, is that his team had already begun working on the breakup the investor was agitating for. Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitating
Adjective
  • Security will remain in place at the schools, officials said, and counselors will be available for students who feel uneasy about attending classes.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • But that blend of raucous laughs (OK, well, some raucous laughs, some mere attempts at them) and real world concerns makes for an uneasy watch, ping-ponging between moods and tones in unpredictable ways.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In a long warehouse in Kandahar’s Zhari district, fans whirl overhead, stirring the hot summer air around bunches of plump, green grapes draped over sticks set up in rows to dry.
    ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Notice where competence has quietly become obligation and where resentment is stirring.
    Tracy Kennedy, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent.
    Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Knightsbridge was challenged over the opening mile by the speedy Full Serrano before shaking him off at the head of the stretch.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Hood makes the sign of the cross with his shaking hands and removes his glasses to wipe away a tear.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Bruin has also begun discussing programming partnerships with UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, including opportunities for PhD students to curate screenings.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Other leagues are increasingly discussing centralizing their local media rights sales, with the possibility of bundling them together on a streaming service such as Amazon Prime Video, DAZN, ESPN, or YouTube.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Last awards season, the gossip around town, salacious and disturbing in equal measure, was that hotel suites all over Hollywood were populated by tailors taking in gowns coming straight off the runway.
    Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The disturbing situation came to light after a tree fell on the home during a storm.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • With so much change swirling, USF enters this fall with a hope-inducing schedule, one that doesn’t feature a single Power Four opponent.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • New York — Family drama is swirling around the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers.
    Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Women were made to feel that their bodies were somehow offensive, distracting, or inconvenient.
    Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Now, a cross-sectional study based on a registry of fatal US motor vehicle crashes has found that the love of her albums may have even contributed a statistically significant bump in deadly traffic accidents, presumably by distracting drivers.
    Mike McRae August 18, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Agitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitating. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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