stir up
Britishverb
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Mix together the ingredients or parts, as in He stirred up some pancake batter , or Will you stir up the fire? [Mid-1300s]
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Rouse to action, incite, provoke, as in He's always stirring up trouble among the campers , or If the strikers aren't careful they'll stir up a riot . [First half of 1500s] Also see stir up a hornets' nest .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Britain's media watchdog Ofcom said it had written to online service providers about "the increased risk of their platforms being used to stir up hatred, provoke violence and commit other offences under UK law".
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
"There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder," she said.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Simers tended to probe and kid and seek to stir up things, but Anderson also recognized that he could be highly accurate, perceptive and even fun.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
Even if a $150 night out is technically within your budget, the fact that you didn’t anticipate spending that much can stir up guilt or anxiety.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
A “provocateur” is a person who tries to stir up trouble.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
