as in movements
the act or an instance of changing position
I thought I detected a slight stirring of the leaves, and yet there wasn't a breath of wind
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Recent Examples of stirrings
The first stirrings of the heat wave arrived Sunday, toppling daily high temperature records in Redwood City and San Rafael.
—
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
There are already stirrings suggesting that Democrats will try again.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2026
Only a small percentage of Costco’s workforce is unionized, but the company has seen new stirrings of union activity in recent years.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Other indicators do suggest the stirrings of a more pronounced AI effect on jobs.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
There are already stirrings suggesting that Democrats will try again.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2026
Only a small percentage of Costco’s workforce is unionized, but the company has seen new stirrings of union activity in recent years.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Other indicators do suggest the stirrings of a more pronounced AI effect on jobs.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirrings
Noun
-
Senor and Stephens are neoconservatives who hardly needed to be convinced that the members of progressive movements were not friends of the Jewish people.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Powered by a new system called MoDE-VLA (Mixture of Dexterous Experts), the robot combines vision, language, touch, and force sensing to execute complex movements.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While the closing of the Strait of Hormuz has not yet caused dramatic shifts in Brazil’s gasoline market, the country is struggling with rising diesel prices.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Reality itself hasn’t changed, but Grace’s sense of reality shifts in an important way.—
Deana L. Weibel,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There’s also evidence that could lead a jury to conclude that Wayfarer planned more aggressive moves designed to hurt her career, according to the ruling.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Stearns’ biggest offseason lineup moves — parting ways with fan favorites Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso — looked ominous after one week.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In February, Tobolowsky heard an hour of arguments before denying the motions to dismiss that were filed by two Gateway elders, according to the Texas Lawbook.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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In mid-March, top Immigration and Customs Enforcement legal officials told field attorneys with the Department of Homeland Security in an email to stop filing new motions for third-country deportations tied to asylum cases.—
Molly A. Wallace,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stirrings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stirrings. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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