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

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 Innovative Uranus stirs your 3rd House of Communication, trining transformative Pluto in your 11th House of Friends and Community. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026 Atlantic tropics are quiet while Pacific stirs In the Atlantic basin, forecasters are predicting a quiet stretch of weather. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 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

Translation is a mutation of language, but not direct replication; something happens in the process that shifts the direction of the ideas.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
In my experience, three forces determine whether an innovation actually shifts the standard of care or just stalls after regulatory approval or clinical validation.

— Erez Meltzer, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of shifts

Verb

Now, new research reveals this kind of high-intensity training provokes a remarkably robust response throughout the bloodstream.

— Will Stone, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
The film starts in nature, and the whole experience provokes ideas and inspires something closer to poetry than nostalgia.

— Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of provokes

Noun

The soft, stretchy fabric moves with you across terminals without bunching or binding, and because the top and bottom are already matched, getting dressed at the crack of dawn requires zero thought.

— Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
By September, cooler air moves across Lake Superior, local breweries begin pouring their autumn releases, and early color starts showing in the forests surrounding Marquette.

— Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of moves

Noun

When women tried to march for their rights, they were violently suppressed, and by 2023, nearly all those in Afghan jails were political prisoners, and many were tortured.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
Filling empty beds The national incarceration rate – which includes both jails, for short-term detention, and prisons, for sentences of more than a year – has more or less crept downward since 2010.

— Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 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