bestirred

verb

past tense of bestir
as in awakened

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestirred
  1. awakened
  2. stirred
  3. aroused
  4. awoke
  5. woke
Verb
  • This case has awakened debates about infanticide laws, which provide legal defenses only to mothers who kill their infant.
    — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • She was awakened in the middle of the night by her barking dog and the sound of a woman screaming in the street.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of awakened
Verb
  • An ongoing police investigation in Philadelphia's Olney section has stirred rumors and concerns of a potential serial killer, but some key information is missing before that claim can be correct.
    — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The debate has stirred deep divisions among the public over whether she should be held criminally responsible for the January 2023 killings.
    — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of stirred
Verb
  • The song was inspired by his boyfriend, who, when aroused, came over his head.
    — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
  • As virality goes, this is not a big number, but the passion that the account has aroused dwarfs its reach.
    — David Kamp, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of aroused
Verb
  • The boy awoke at a family cottage in northern Ontario in 2024 with a bat resting across his nose and mouth.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Some of the incidents have turned violent The latest bear attack in Colorado occurred early Wednesday when a homeless man sleeping in Aspen's Rio Grande Park awoke to find a bear biting his head, according to CPW officials.
    — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of awoke
Verb
  • Maribeth Graham depicts the overly woke Suzanne, whose whole life is wrapped up in keeping Eureka Day inclusive.
    — Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • London — The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming return was plastered across UK’s front pages Thursday, as Britons woke to the surprise news that the couple will move back to the country after six years in the United States.
    — Max Foster, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of woke
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bestir
bestirred
bestirring
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bestirred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestirred. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All