Use 'stir up' when someone deliberately causes negative feelings to emerge.

Negative Emotions

People often use 'stir up' to suggest indirect responsibility for causing emotions.

Avoiding Blame

The phrase 'stir up' is commonly used in recipes and cooking to describe combining ingredients.

'Stir up' suggests a vigorous or thorough mixing, often until the substance is uniform.

Use 'stir up' to signal that something triggers old memories, not always intentionally.

'Stir up' implies that the resulting emotions are strong and possibly unexpected.

When used colloquially, 'stir up' often indicates someone is purposefully causing trouble.

People may use 'stir up' to warn others not to provoke a conflict or disagreement.

'Stir up' can refer to generating a positive buzz or excitement among a group.

Use 'stir up' when a leader or speaker is aiming to motivate or unite a group.