roil

verb

ˈrȯi(-ə)l 

transitive sense 2 is also

ˈrī(-ə)l 

roiled; roiling; roils

transitive verb

1

a

: to make turbid by stirring up the sediment or dregs of

b

: to stir up : disturb, disorder

a crisis roiling the stock market

2

: rile sense 1

intransitive verb

: to move turbulently : be in a state of turbulence or agitation

conflicting emotions roiling inside her

Synonyms of roil

• swirl
• churn
• boil
• seethe

Examples of roil in a Sentence

Financial markets have been roiled by the banking crisis.

the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore

Recent Examples on the Web

At the same time, its surrounding, roiling cloud of debris hinted Fomalhaut b was an expanding dust formation. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2025

The massacre at one of Australia's most popular beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year, although the authorities didn't suggest those and the shooting Sunday were connected. —Arkansas Online, 15 Dec. 2025

Trump loyalists have roiled the Justice Department, shattering norms and leading to a mass exodus of veteran officials, but the 92-year-old chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee has remained focused on the past. —Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025

Lai, one of the most prominent critics of China’s ruling Communist Party, was arrested in 2020 shortly after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in response to the anti-government protests, which roiled Hong Kong for months in 2019 and sometimes turned violent. —Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for roil

• boil
• broil
• coil
• foil
• oil
• soil
• spoil
• toil
• voile
• aerofoil
• cinquefoil
• hydrofoil

Kids Definition

roil

verb

ˈrȯi(ə)l 

sense 2 is also ˈrī(ə)l

1

: to make cloudy or muddy by stirring up

roil the water of a brook

2

: to rouse the anger of