as in movements
the act or an instance of changing position
I thought I detected a slight stirring of the leaves, and yet there wasn't a breath of wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 stirrings
Those principles inspired the first stirrings of experimental education in the United States.
—
Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
The first stirrings of the heat wave arrived Sunday, toppling daily high temperature records in Redwood City and San Rafael.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
There are already stirrings suggesting that Democrats will try again.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2026
Only a small percentage of Costco’s workforce is unionized, but the company has seen new stirrings of union activity in recent years.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Other indicators do suggest the stirrings of a more pronounced AI effect on jobs.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
The first stirrings of the heat wave arrived Sunday, toppling daily high temperature records in Redwood City and San Rafael.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
There are already stirrings suggesting that Democrats will try again.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2026
Only a small percentage of Costco’s workforce is unionized, but the company has seen new stirrings of union activity in recent years.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Other indicators do suggest the stirrings of a more pronounced AI effect on jobs.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirrings
Noun
-
Last year, the government constrained the movements of media within the building, designating certain wings of the Casa Rosada off limits and capping attendance at news briefings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In the United States, some movements effectively created awareness through the use of hashtags and user posts.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And now that pressure shifts squarely onto Detroit.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In Cambodia, worker groups spoke of furloughs, cut shifts and job losses.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grand masters typically spend countless hours studying and memorizing long sequences of moves suggested by computer programs.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The layoffs follow Los Angeles County’s decision to withdraw funding from LAHSA and launch its own homelessness department, alongside recent moves by city leaders to consider shifting programs away from the agency or restructuring its governance.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other evidence in the case requires motions to be unsealed, including a wire tap and grand jury testimony.—
Madeline Morrison,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Functional mapping techniques, for instance, can relate similar shapes but are restricted to open-loop motions on clean meshes.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stirrings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stirrings. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
