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stir up a hornets' nest
Idioms and Phrases
Make trouble, cause a commotion, as in Asking for an audit of the treasurer's books stirred up a hornets' nest in the association . This metaphoric term, likening hornets to angry humans, dates from the first half of the 1700s.Example Sentences
In the meantime, the committee acted as if it knew it was about to make history and stir up a hornets’ nest of trouble, passing the subpoena motion unanimously in four minutes with no debate.
Lub looked at him painfully, but he did not think it best to ask further questions lest he stir up a hornets' nest.
So you see, she was within her rights, in a way, and beside, I tell you I don't want to stir up a hornets' nest about it.
We may suspect, but if we raised a hand we should stir up a hornets' nest, as indeed Mr. Drake appears to be doing.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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