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
  • In 2012 American entrepreneur Russ George spread roughly 100 tons of iron in the North Pacific, provoking international criticism that a commercial venture had begun geoengineering without adequate oversight.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • And already this week, at least one county official is raising questions about why his locality is on the DOJ's list.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Privacy concerns The very same design elements that make Muse so appealing to AI newcomers are also raising privacy concerns.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • Chater doesn’t disagree, particularly as promoting the album has prompted more conversations about the subject.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Many classical Christian schools go a step further in their focus on reclaiming and promoting Western Christian culture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2026.

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