stirring (up)

verb

Definition of stirring (up)next
present participle of stir (up)
as in provoking
to bring something (volatile or intense) into being couldn't stir up any interest in a Saturday morning outing to the art museum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirring (up)
  1. provoking
  2. raising
  3. promoting
Verb
  • Guendouzi, who played for Lyon’s rivals Marseille between 2022 and 2024, was seen provoking the Lyon fans at full time with a series of exuberant celebrations.
    — Ali Rampling, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This year's Ig Nobel Prizes — which are awarded for humorous, yet thought-provoking research — have been announced, but not on their home turf.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Warner had the most eyebrow-raising quote of the 49ers’ postgame press conferences ahead of their 16-hour flight home, while many of his teammates sidestepped questions about the disparate approaches the teams had before the game.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • According to British media, Dimon warned the pair on Wednesday against raising the tax burden on banks in next month's budget.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • While promoting his new show Brothers, McConaughey managed to carve out some spon-con time for his tequila, Pantalones.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Big firms such as Latham & Watkins, Perkins Coie and WilmerHale are promoting their white-glove services to data center clients on their websites.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of promoting
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

stirrings
stirring (up)
stirs
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Cite this Entry

“Stirring (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stirring%20%28up%29. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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