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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
  • In deceptively plain diction, the hurdle of one love relationship provokes an exploration of desire and belonging.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of provokes
Verb
  • Still, rising tensions over the self-governing island loom in the background, as the Iran war depletes the US’ weapons stockpile and Taiwan’s AI chip production raises the stakes for any potential conflict.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The idea that this could be a school-by-school system raises some red flags; for all its flaws, at least the exam was an across-the-board measure for all students.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

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