as in to awaken
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Recent Examples of bestir
Newspapers can barely bestir themselves to report on the latest inhumanity in Ukraine — the latest bombing of a school, say.
—
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Nov. 2024
Witnesses—from staffers and family members to congresspeople—conjured a muted Commander-in-Chief, who could not bestir himself, as armed rioters stormed the Capitol building, to rise from his seat at the head of the West Wing’s dining-room table and call off the mob.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022
The New York Times finally bestirred itself to report on Reade’s charges, burying them on page A20 of its Easter Sunday edition.
—Nr Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
If the charges against Bob Kraft are proven to be true, then Goodell should bestir himself to punish the Patriots owner severely, and with something beyond a fine.
—Charles P. Pierce, Sports Illustrated, 16 Mar. 2019
Drew Nolan caused his coach, Harry Litwack, to bestir himself from the bench.
—Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 8 June 2018
Nobody in all his years of coaching at Temple has bestirred Litwack from the bench so often as Drew Nolan.
—Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 8 June 2018
And yet most of us have still not bestirred ourselves to care, much less to march in the streets demanding change.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2017
And yet most of us have still not bestirred ourselves to care, much less to march in the streets demanding change.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2017
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Nov. 2024
Witnesses—from staffers and family members to congresspeople—conjured a muted Commander-in-Chief, who could not bestir himself, as armed rioters stormed the Capitol building, to rise from his seat at the head of the West Wing’s dining-room table and call off the mob.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022
The New York Times finally bestirred itself to report on Reade’s charges, burying them on page A20 of its Easter Sunday edition.
—Nr Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
If the charges against Bob Kraft are proven to be true, then Goodell should bestir himself to punish the Patriots owner severely, and with something beyond a fine.
—Charles P. Pierce, Sports Illustrated, 16 Mar. 2019
Drew Nolan caused his coach, Harry Litwack, to bestir himself from the bench.
—Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 8 June 2018
Nobody in all his years of coaching at Temple has bestirred Litwack from the bench so often as Drew Nolan.
—Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 8 June 2018
And yet most of us have still not bestirred ourselves to care, much less to march in the streets demanding change.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2017
And yet most of us have still not bestirred ourselves to care, much less to march in the streets demanding change.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestir
Verb
-
In 2020 Hugo Lagercrantz of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden observed that consciousness can only awaken when there are connections between brain areas called the thalamus and the cerebral cortex.—
Christian Wolf,
Scientific American,
25 June 2025
-
The real Cooper, freshly awakened from a coma induced by sticking a fork in an electrical socket, his long-absent memory restored, arrives shortly thereafter, thence to be transported back in time to the night of the murder of Laura Palmer, which brought him to Twin Peaks so many years ago.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
20 June 2025
Verb
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More recently, the actress stirred buzz for gaining 30 pounds to play boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
-
The beauty and brilliance of Baum’s story is undoubtedly in its timeless power to stir an emotional response in us as adults.—
Hazel Gaynor
June 18,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Personally, however, your idealism will be aroused.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
13 June 2025
-
For instance, people often mistake a dog’s wagging tail as a sign of happiness, but the American Kennel Club suggests that the wagging movement only indicates that the dog is emotionally aroused.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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About 2,000 shelters were opened across Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, and over 18,000 first responders were mobilized At first light Thursday, Acapulco awoke under ominous dark clouds, but without a drop of rain and small waves lapping at its central beach.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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Storm moves south on approach At first light Thursday, Acapulco awoke under ominous dark clouds.—
Luis Alberto Cruz,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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With an early-rising 11-month-old, who, without fail, woke before our alarm buzzed each morning, sleep—let alone restful, continuous sleep—was a far-off dream.—
Alisha Prakash,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2025
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Walter was on an Amtrak train to Chicago when a Border Patrol agent woke him up at 2 in the morning.—
Cristina Jiménez,
People.com,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bestir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestir. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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