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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stirs (up)
Verb
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What is beauty if not precisely the property that provokes us to abandon all pretense of analytic remove in our desperation to draw closer?—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026 -
The aroma of coffee brewing reliably provokes desire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That raises serious concerns about privacy, dignity, and the well-being of kids who just want to belong and participate like their peers.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Booker plan also raises taxes on the wealthy as a partial offset for its costs.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
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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 Mar. 2026.
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