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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Relevance

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

For many Iranians, the war stirs a complicated mix of emotions. —

Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026 General Daily Insight for March 06, 2026 Fresh courage stirs as the day begins. —

Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026 But watching the people at Terra work stirs a feeling that solutions to these crises may indeed come from young people spurred to think up solutions by their proximity to — and in some cases, perhaps, personal experience with — the crises. —

Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026 The escalation stirs Iraq War trauma in Britain. —

Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026 Agwunobi has created stirs in private sector positions. —

Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026 Your 12th House of Healing stirs as combative Mars squares radical Uranus in your 3rd House of Noise. —

Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026 But there’s nothing that stirs fan enthusiasm more than when high-end prospects do something significant. —

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026 Comfort expands as the life-giving Sun stirs your domestic 4th house, inviting practical improvements that make your nest feel freer and more supportive. —

Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirs

Verb

To load the product onto the brush, Barnes swirls the tool into the pan twice and taps it twice to prevent fallout.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
The lights are dim and jazzy music swirls the intimate crowd.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025