stirs (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of stir (up)
as in provokes
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 stirs (up)
  1. provokes
  2. raises
Verb
  • Another friend recounted the ins-and-outs of her 11-year-old’s baseball league, which provokes more political intrigue than a Hilary Mantel novel.
    — Mary Pauline Lowry, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • His jealousy provokes an act of betrayal and cruelty.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 June 2026
Definition of provokes
Verb
  • Analysts said the persistence of such underlying weakness also raises the question of whether Chinese officials will turn to more fiscal stimulus to try and boost domestic spending.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Diaz's go-to no-gear routine is one minute of squats, one minute of high knees, and one minute of calf raises.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of raises
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

stirs
stirs (up)
stir (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Stirs (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stirs%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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