bestir

verb

Definition of bestirnext
as in to awaken

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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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestir
  1. awaken
  2. stir
  3. arouse
  4. awake
  5. wake
Verb
  • Nobody wrote a Time magazine cover about the awakening consciousness of the autopilot.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But this morning an air of foreboding awakened me, and my little fishing barometer was already descending past the 29 mark.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of awaken
Verb
  • To a small bowl, add the tamarind purée, chiles, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The story centers on two ex-lovers who come back into each other’s lives after spending decades apart, only to find old feelings stirring with messy and mixed results.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of stir
Verb
  • In the doorframe was the manager, sniffing around, suspicions aroused.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • His efforts, however, encountered their greatest obstacle after World War II due to the suspicions aroused by Philip’s family’s uncomfortable ties to the Nazis.
    — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of arouse
Verb
  • Ukrainians awoke on Wednesday to find that their military had been restricted in its use of Starshield, the American satellite service undergirding swaths of the nation’s defensive infrastructure and weaponry.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Pope's surgery, which the doctors said was successful, lasted about 90 minutes, after which Leo awoke normally and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor.
    — Scott Detrow, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of awake
Verb
  • The medications work by blocking certain chemical messengers in the part of the brain that regulates body temperature and manages sleep/wake cycles, according to the guidance.
    — Shannon Firth, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Your body’s stress hormone peaks naturally about an hour after waking, and layering caffeine on top amplifies the spike.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of wake

Browse Nearby Words

besting
bestir
bestirred
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Cite this Entry

“Bestir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestir. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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