Mix with a spoon (4) Crossword Clue
Answer: STIR (4 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Mix with a spoon" with 4 letters is "STIR".Stir means to mix ingredients or substances with a spoon or similar utensil, typically to blend or combine them evenly. It is a common action in cooking and baking, where the goal is to integrate ingredients or to heat liquids without them separating.
Why “Stir” Fits
The clue asks for a single word (4 letters) meaning “mix with a spoon.” The answer, STIR, fits perfectly:
- Mix with a spoon: Stir means to move a spoon or similar utensil in a circular motion to mix ingredients together — exactly matching the clue’s definition.
- Direct match: With four letters, stir fits the enumeration precisely.
- Precise meaning: The word conveys both the literal action of blending substances (usually in cooking or beverages) and broader figurative senses like arousing emotion or causing movement.
Stir is one of the oldest and most versatile verbs in English, used across both physical and emotional contexts:
- Origin and usage: From Old English styrian (“to move, agitate, or excite”), tracing back to Proto-Germanic sturjaną. The word has kept its sense of motion, activity, and disruption for centuries.
- Literal meaning: To mix or move a substance using a circular or back-and-forth motion — “She stirred the soup to blend the flavours.”
Extended meanings:
- Emotional or metaphorical: “The speech stirred their hearts.”
- Social or physical activity: “The town began to stir at sunrise.”
- Colloquial sense: Can mean a situation of commotion or excitement — “There was quite a stir about the news.”
Examples:
- “He stirred sugar into his coffee.”
- “Stir the paint before applying it.”
- “The announcement stirred public interest.”
In quick crosswords like “Mix with a spoon (4),” direct-action verbs are among the most frequent clue types:
- Definition: The clue’s phrasing “mix with a spoon” defines stir precisely, since this verb denotes the literal act described.
- Clue type: Simple definition clue — purely factual with no cryptic element.
Solving approach:
- Look for short, everyday verbs associated with mixing — such as stir, fold, whip, blend, or beat.
- The four-letter enumeration (4) narrows the choice down to stir, the most common and fitting verb.
Crossword pattern: Cooking and everyday household verbs like boil, pour, bake, stir, and mix regularly appear in quick crosswords, rewarding general vocabulary recall.
