You're sitting there with a pen—or more likely, your thumb hovering over a glass screen—and the grid is staring back at you. It’s a Wednesday. Maybe a Thursday. The clue says stirred up, and you’ve got four letters. Or maybe six. Or ten. Honestly, it’s one of those clues that makes you want to hurl your phone across the room because the English language is just too flexible for its own good.
Crossword constructors like Will Shortz or the team over at the LA Times love this phrase. Why? Because "stirred up" can mean a dozen different things depending on the context. Are we talking about a physical liquid? A crowd of angry people? Or maybe just some dust in the attic? This ambiguity is exactly what makes the stirred up crossword clue such a recurring nightmare for casual solvers and a fun challenge for the pros.
The Usual Suspects: The Most Common Answers
When you see "stirred up," your brain should immediately start cycling through synonyms based on letter count. If you have four letters, the answer is almost certainly AGOG or ROIL. But wait. Agog is more about excitement. Roil is that muddy, turbulent action you see in a creek after a storm. If it's five letters? You're likely looking at ROUSE or AWOKE.
Sometimes the clue is more metaphorical. If the answer is ADIR, you might be dealing with a slightly more obscure puzzle style. But more often than not, constructors go for ELATE or EXCITE if the "stirring" is positive. You see, the difficulty isn't just the word itself; it's the "vibe" of the puzzle. A New Yorker puzzle is going to treat this clue very differently than a Monday USA Today.
The Physics of Wordplay
Let's get technical for a second. In the world of cryptic crosswords—those brain-melting puzzles from the UK—"stirred up" is often an anagram indicator. It’s a signal to the solver that the letters in the nearby word need to be scrambled. If you see "Stirred up tea (3)," the answer is EAT. You literally stirred up the letters of T-E-A.
In a standard American crossword, we don't do that. We look for synonyms. But even then, there’s a nuance. Think about the word ROYLE. It sounds like roil, but it’s not. A lot of people trip up here. They think of the word MOVED. It fits. It’s simple. But it lacks the intensity that "stirred up" usually implies. You don't just move a pot of soup; you agitate it.
Why the NYT Loves "Aroused"
If you're looking at a seven-letter slot, AROUSED is a frequent flier. It’s a great word for constructors because it’s vowel-heavy. A-R-O-U-S-E-D. Those vowels are gold for connecting other words in a grid. If you see "stirred up" and the grid looks like it needs a lot of vowels to function, bet on a variation of arouse or awaken.
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The Emotion Behind the Clue
Sometimes "stirred up" refers to social unrest. If the answer is INCITED, you’re looking at a clue that probably mentions a riot or a crowd. Or maybe FOMENT. That's a great one. It’s a "ten-dollar word" that crosswords use to bridge difficult sections. You don't hear people say "he fomented the coffee" at Starbucks. It's strictly for rebellion or trouble.
Consider these variations that pop up constantly:
- ROULED: Often used in older puzzles, though it's rarer now.
- WROUGHT: As in "wrought up." This is a tricky one because "wrought" usually feels like it belongs to metalworking.
- ASHIVER: If the "stirring" involves a bit of a chill or fear.
- UPSET: The most basic, literal, and frustratingly common answer.
It’s All About the Tense
Check your surrounding clues. If the clue is "stirred up," the answer must be in the same tense. If it’s "stirs up," the answer could be ROILS or PROVOKES. If it's "stirring up," look for REARING or HEAVING. This is where most people lose their streak. They find a word that fits the meaning but ignore the grammar. Don't be that person.
Actually, let's talk about AGITATED. That’s the big one. Eight letters. It’s the perfect synonym. It covers the physical, the emotional, and the social. If you have the space, Agitated is usually the king of this clue.
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How to Solve it Every Time
Look at the crosses. Honestly, that’s the only real "secret." If you have a stirred up crossword clue and you’re stuck, stop looking at it. Move to the vertical clues. If you get the first letter and it’s an 'R', you’re probably looking at Roil or Rouse. If the first letter is an 'A', it’s Agog, Aroused, or Awoken.
Crosswords are a game of letter patterns, not just definitions. You're basically a codebreaker. The clue is just the hint to the cipher.
Real-World Solving Strategy
- Count the boxes. Seems obvious, but your brain will try to force "Agitated" into a six-letter spot because it’s the first word you thought of.
- Check the "flavor" of the puzzle. Is it a punny puzzle? The answer might be WHIPPED (like cream). Is it a serious, academic puzzle? Try GALVANIZED.
- Look for "Up" in the grid. If the clue is "Stirred up," the answer won't usually contain the word "up" again, but it might be a part of a phrasal verb like WOKE.
Sometimes the answer is as simple as FIRE. As in, "to fire up" someone. It’s annoying because it’s so simple it hides in plain sight. You’re looking for a complex Latin-root word, and the constructor just wanted a four-letter word for heat.
The Evolutionary Language of Puzzles
The way we use "stirred up" has changed. Twenty years ago, a crossword might have used STREWN in a very specific, slightly archaic sense. Today, you’re more likely to see HYPED or AMPED. Language evolves, and the New York Times crossword—under the editorship of Will Shortz since 1993—has tried to keep pace. They use more modern slang now. So, if you're doing a puzzle from 2024 or 2025, don't rule out KEYED (as in "keyed up").
It’s also worth noting that "stirred up" can be a noun phrase in disguise, though it’s rare. Usually, it's a verb or an adjective. If you’re ever truly stuck, remember that the letter 'E' is the most common letter in the English language and 'S' is frequently at the end of these answers.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Grid
Next time you hit this clue, don't panic. Check the tense first. Then, look at the letter count. If it's short, think ROIL. If it's long, think AGITATED. If it’s a Sunday puzzle, prepare for it to be a pun, like CHURNED in a clue about butter.
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To truly master this, keep a mental list of these four-letter "pivot" words. Roil, Agog, Stir, Rife. These are the glue that holds crosswords together. Once you recognize that the constructor is just trying to fill a tricky corner with vowels, the "stirred up" mystery disappears.
Start looking at the surrounding clues to lock in at least two crossing letters. If you get a 'G' in the second or third position, you’re almost certainly looking at AGOG or AGITATED. Use the process of elimination by testing the most common vowels first. If you can't find a spot for an 'E' or an 'A', the answer is likely a more modern or jagged word like ROIL.
Keep your pencil sharp and your eraser handy. You'll need it.