掻き回す

• Reading: かきまわす
• Romaji: kakimawasu
• Kanji breakdown: 掻 (kou/ka) — scratch, stir (intensifier); 回 (kai/mawa) — turn around, rotate, move
• Pronunciation: /ka.ki.ma.wa.sɯ/

Meaning

To stir up; to rummage through; to disturb; to throw (an organisation or situation) into confusion.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb from the intensifying prefix 掻き- and 回す (to turn around, to move around). Conjugates as 掻き回さ-ない, 掻き回し-ます. Used both literally (stirring soup, rummaging through a bag) and figuratively (disrupting an organisation, complicating a situation).

Examples

1. 外部からの資本参入が業界の秩序を大きく掻き回した。 The entry of outside capital threw the industry's order into disarray.
2. 彼女はバッグの中を掻き回したが、鍵がどうしても見つからなかった。 She rummaged through her bag but couldn't find her keys no matter what.
3. 一人の内部告発者が組織全体を掻き回し、改革のきっかけを作った。 A single whistleblower stirred up the entire organization and sparked a wave of reform.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, business, narrative, politics

Tone: disruptive

Origin & History

Compound of 掻き- (kaki-, intensive prefix from 掻く) and 回す (mawasu, to rotate, to turn around). The image is of forcefully stirring or spinning something into disorder.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal