There's no telling what kind of trouble this proposal might stir up. The result is certainly going to be something to see.
Source: tatoeba (20069)
Stir
/stɜː/
Synonyms for "stir" (512 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (103)
Noun(16 words)
actionactivateactivenessactivismactivityactuateactuationadoadvanceaffectagitateagitationamalgamateanimateannoyarisearouseascendawakeawaken
Show 46 more words
backback upbe turbulentbeatbeat upbestirbig houseblendblow the coalsblow upblusterbobberyboilboilingbotherbotherationbrawlbreathbrigbroilbrouhahabubblebudgeburstbusinessbustlecalaboosecall forthcall upcanchallengechangechange placechokeychurnchurn upcircleclimbclinkcollegecome alivecome home tocomminglecommotionconfusionconturbation
Verb(18 words)
Adjective(3 words)
Strong matches (153)
convinceconvulsecoolercoopcultivatedescenddindisarrangediscombobulatediscomposediscomposuredisconcertdisorderdisquietdisquietudedisturbdisturbancedoingsdonnybrookdonnybrook fair
Show 104 more words
drivedustupdynamicsebbebullienceebullitioneddyeffervescenceelectrifyembroilmentencourageenergizeengenderenkindleenrageexciteexcitementfanfan the firefan the flamefanfarefeed the firefeery-faryfermentfermentationfeverfeverishnessfidgetinessfidgetsfirefitflameflapflowflurryflushflusterflutterflutterationflutterinessfoamfomentfoofarawfortifyfracasfree-for-allfrenzyfretfumefurorefussfussinessgalvanizegetget movingget overget upglasshousegogo aroundgo deepgo roundgo sidewaysgo through onegoinggoings ongoings-ongyratehassleheartenheathelter skelterhelter-skelterhoosegowhubbubhullabaloohurly burlyhurly-burlyhurryhurry scurryhurry-scurryimpassionimpelimpressincenseinciteinduceinflameinfuriateinquietudeinspireinstigateintermingleinvigoratejailjarjittersjoltjugjumpinesskeepkey upkindlekinematics
Noun(19 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (256)
kinesipathykinesiskinesitherapykineticslather uplight the fuselight uplook livelymaddenmaelstrommake sensitivemalaisemeleemeltmelt the heartmergemilitancymillmill aroundmingle
Show 168 more words
mix upmobilizationmoilmotionmotivatemotivationmountmovemove overmovementmovingnervinessnervositynervousnessoverexcitepaddlepandemoniumpell mellpell-mellpenpenetratepenitentiarypersuadeperturbperturbateperturbationpiercepiqueplungepokepokeypolitical activismpotherprisonproceedingsprodprogresspromptprovokequickenquodracketraiseraise uprallyrampagerattlereachrecallrecollectrefinereformatoryregressrestlessnessrestoreresuscitateretrogressreviverileriotrippleriserockroilrotaterough-and-tumbleroughenroughhouserouseroutrowruckusructionrufflerumplerumpusrunrunningscrambleseetheseethingsendsensationsensibilizesensitizeset astirset fire toset onset on fireshakeshake a legshake upsharpenshiftshindyshocksimmersinkslammersmartsmoldersoarsoftenspasmspinspurspurtstaggersteam upstep livelystewstimulatestingstir aboutstir the bloodstir the embersstir the feelingsstir upstirringstormstreamsubsidesummon upsweatswirlswirlingthrillto doto-dotouchtouch a chordtraveltrepidationtrepiditytroubletumulttumultuationturbidityturbulenceturmoilturn ontwitteruneaseunquietunrestunsettleuproarupseturgevelocityvitalizevortexwakewake upwakenwanewarmwarm the bloodwhetwhipwhip upwhirlwhirlpoolwhirlwindwhiskwork intowork upyeastiness
Verb(24 words)
Noun(40 words)
Adjective(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: fuss, action, activate, activeness, activism.
- Sentence evidence is available for stir, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "stir".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "stir"
Keep "stir" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "stir" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "stir", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "stir" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
40 entriesShowing 16 of 40 words.
More specific
10 entriesCollocations
9 entriesclassroom stirgentle stirmild stirringpublic stirquick stirstir frystirring motionstirring spoonstrong stir
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriessimilar
5 entriesTranslations
63 translations across 33 languages.
Bashkir
2 entries- болғау verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- бутау verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Bulgarian
3 entries- бъ́ркам verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- ме́шам verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- разбъ́ркам verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Catalan
3 entries- regirar verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- remenar verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- remoure verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Chechen
1 entries- кег ян verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 攪 /搅 verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- 攪拌 /搅拌 verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Dutch
1 entries- roeren verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Finnish
2 entries- hämmentää verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- sekoittaa verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
French
1 entries- remuer verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
German
2 entries- rüere verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- rühren verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Hakka Chinese
1 entries- 摝 verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Hungarian
4 entries- felkever verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- kavar verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- kever verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- megkever verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Icelandic
1 entries- hræra verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Irish
1 entries- corraigh verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Italian
1 entries- mescolare verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Japanese
2 entries- 掻き混ぜる verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- 攪拌する verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Korean
1 entries- 휘젓다 verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Latvian
1 entries- maisīt verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Māori
3 entries- kōrori verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- kōrorirori verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- tairangi verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Norman
1 entries- rêmouer verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- røre verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- røre verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Occitan
3 entries- chambotar verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- mesclar verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- remòure verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Old Turkic
1 entries- 𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰍𐰀 verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- بولامق verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Polish
4 entries- bełtać verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- mieszać verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- wymieszać verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- zbełtać verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Portuguese
1 entries- mexer verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Romanian
1 entries- amesteca verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Russian
3 entries- меша́ть verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- разме́шивать verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- размеша́ть verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Spanish
4 entries- bullir verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- escrucar verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- mecer verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- mejer verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Swedish
1 entries- röra verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Turkish
1 entries- karıştırmak verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Ukrainian
3 entries- міша́ти verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- розмі́шувати verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- розмішат́и verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Vietnamese
3 entries- khuấy verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- quấy verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
- quậy verb (to disturb the relative position of the particles of)
Sample sentences
36 total sentences available.
I like pea pods in my stir fry.
Source: tatoeba (32484)
Stir the mixture until it foams, then set it aside.
Source: tatoeba (47823)
The news is creating a stir.
Source: tatoeba (50124)
Showing 4 of 36 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "stir"?
Closest matches include fuss, action, activate, activeness, activism.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "stir"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.