AGITATING Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

agitating 1 of 2

adjective

as in uneasy

marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings no more agitating waits to find out sports scores—get them instantly online!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

agitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of agitate

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

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as in bothering

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy there's no need to agitate the patient about little things

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shaking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle

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as in discussing

to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again

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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

But while the calls to resign or step aside have waned, many are still agitating for change. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 By mid-morning, bees continued to fly around as city workers did their best to cut the tree without getting stung or agitating the hives any further. — Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 After many decades of organizing, speaking, writing, agitating — and weathering the constant controversy that courted — Steinem kept going. — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Continue to cook, agitating eggs and occasionally shaking pan and running spatula underneath to ensure eggs aren’t sticking, until surface of eggs looks somewhat set but still slightly shiny, about 30 seconds more. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitating

Adjective

Giving team members insight into what is known, what remains unchanged and what may come next can help people navigate uneasy periods of uncertainty with greater confidence.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Experts say Chinese officials likely felt uneasy about that opening.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Verb

His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.

— Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
For example, companies that benefit from customers not bothering to cancel subscriptions, compare prices, or search for better deals have taken a beating in recent weeks.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bothering

Verb

There’s seat-shaking violence in how the whale breaches the surface and slams its weight back down (the crafty sound design is by James Miller) and body horror in its claustrophobic, spongy inner chambers.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Just below the broad smile he’s been wearing all morning, John Ternus’ hands are shaking.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaking

Verb

Using one term as shorthand for another can blur information patients may be looking for when reading about a medication or discussing a prescription with a provider.

— Emma Clapp, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Jurors are now discussing hours of video and several witness and expert testimonies.

— Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of discussing

Adjective

For Daughtry, who was dispatched to work the crash by his editor that day, the assignment was one of the most disturbing of his career.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
This disturbing contradiction suggests that different physical laws apply to the observer and the observed.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Verb

Outside, the Santa Ana winds sent debris swirling with powerful gusts.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
As for the suites, the highlight is their private terraces, peaceful havens from which to admire, paradoxically, the urban whirlwind swirling below.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of swirling

Verb

Today’s computers are approachable, but also distracting, argues Caligra co-founder and CEO Grant Bisset.

— Daniel Varghese, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Maybe his conning can be curtailed someday, but the thought there’d ever be enough distracting chaos for a similarly lengthy follow-up is almost too much to bear.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026