STIRS Synonyms: 265 Similar and Opposite Words

stirs 1 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of stir

as in swirls

to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly the recipe says to stir the mixture carefully until it's properly blended

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as in shifts

to change one's position the cat stirred, then opened its eyes and slowly got to its feet

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as in provokes

to rouse to strong feeling or action news coverage of the fire stirred many to send donations to a fund for the families who had lost their homes

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stirs

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of stir

as in commotions

a state of noisy, confused activity the plane's first jolt caused a stir among the passengers, and by the third one they were in a panic

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as in moves

the act or an instance of changing position we were warned that the slightest stir would scare the mother bird so we hardly dared to breathe

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stirs

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of stir, slang

as in jails

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody the mule had just got out of stir and was being followed by the feds, who had their sights set on the kingpin of the operation

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outsides

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 stirs

Verb

Her arrival stirs enough secrets, crushes, and shifting loyalties to fill an eight-episode TV show. — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Perched along Positano’s cliffs, the hotel soothes the soul and stirs the senses. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 But after two decades in the rearview, Pluto’s demotion still stirs anger and controversy, and many people regard its change in status as a very bad thing. — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026 That’s just one example of how Healy has become the straw that stirs the drink for the Huskies. — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 As Koschei the Deathless stirs from millennia-long captivity, powerful allies close in to reclaim the human lands. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 The kitchen buzzes as volunteers carry in trays of Creole dishes and barbecue while one of the sisters stirs a large cooler of lemon margaritas. — Windsor Johnston, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026 Refusing to do so, Luis stirs a rivalry and potentially endangers his own employment. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026 While dealing with an impending counterattack from Oda, Murashige finds that trouble stirs in his own courts as mysterious deaths, from a child prisoner to other officials, end up mysteriously murdered. — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 27 July 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirs

Verb

Max Martin, Grande sings of blowing through breakups and make-ups and enduring mounting exhaustion with mass notoriety while the music swirls patiently and frequently angrily underneath.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
The galaxy's heart shines brightly in the image, with gleaming rays of light radiating from its center while gas and dust swirls around.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 19 May 2026

Definition of swirls

Verb

The evolution of strategies can lead to stable populations, bistable populations (where the population flips between two stable strategies), or limit cycles, where the population shifts continuously among multiple strategies.

— Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
Try meeting their needs first and see if their behavior shifts.

— Juli Fraga, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of shifts

Verb

The development provokes a leadership shake-up on both committees, prompting speculation on who will fill the spots when the next Congress opens in January.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2026
The rooms were part of Kusama’s ongoing exploration of self-obliteration and her career-long ambition to create work that provokes a keen awareness of both one’s individual insignificance and place in the wider cosmic system.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of provokes

Noun

But in an era when only six of the 20 teams spent under £100million this summer, those bargain-basement deals have given way to big-money moves.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
That was the year, after going all-in with blockbuster moves before and late in the season, the Rams won Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

— Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of moves

Noun

And as the cops try to arrest them, only to realize their own jails aren’t accessible, the film expresses perfectly how the government trips over its own feet while resisting inevitable change.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Across California, individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies are repeatedly funneled into de facto psychiatric facilities like local jails instead of receiving timely clinical care.

— Kerry Martin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of jails

Verb

On the traditional-spa side, a JetPeel facial using Augustinus Bader products essentially pressure-washes my skin with nutrient-rich serums.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
Continue reading … CREATOR'S REMORSE — TV legend Oprah washes her hands of any association with Dr Phil or Dr Oz.

— , FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026