stirred up a hornets' nest

A form of stir up a hornets' nest — To do or say something that causes a lot of trouble or controversy.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of stir up a hornets' nest
Cite this entry
APA

stirred up a hornets' nest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stirred%20up%20a%20hornets'%20nest

MLA

“stirred up a hornets' nest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stirred%20up%20a%20hornets'%20nest. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stirred up a hornets' nest,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stirred%20up%20a%20hornets'%20nest.

Source: stirred up a hornets' nest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.