stirs up
Agitates into action
To stir up is to provoke or incite—to bring dormant feelings or situations into active motion.
You can stir up trouble, stir up controversy, or stir up old memories.
The phrase suggests agitation, like stirring sediment from the bottom of a container: The article stirred up a lot of anger online.
Someone who stirs up conflict is a troublemaker or instigator.
- rouseStir to wakefulness
- agitateDisturb or provoke
- riles upDeliberately provokes anger
- shakeTrembling or blended treat
- churnAgitate cream into butter
kicks up · foment · spark · provoke · ignite · fans the flames · galvanize · incite · whips up · swirl · kindle · awaken · excites · whip · instigate · rattles · unsettles · inflame
instigation of conflict or trouble
stirs updefuses
Renders safe from detonation
de-escalates · resolves · reconciles · mediates · quells