roiled; roiling; roils
1
2
: to move turbulently : be in a state of turbulence or agitation
conflicting emotions roiling inside her
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
Meanwhile, Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran has roiled the global energy markets and sent the cost of gas and jet fuel soaring.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 11 June 2026
The Rams plans for a smooth transition to training camp, however, were roiled this week when veteran left tackle Alaric Jackson was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
The appointment last week of Pulte, the 38-year-old director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, roiled congressional negotiations around section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, one of the nation's most important surveillance tools.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 11 June 2026
Ellison’s words may help soothe tensions at the program, which has been roiled in recent days and still faces a difficult summer without more full-time correspondents.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for roil
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Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 11 June 2026
The Rams plans for a smooth transition to training camp, however, were roiled this week when veteran left tackle Alaric Jackson was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
The appointment last week of Pulte, the 38-year-old director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, roiled congressional negotiations around section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, one of the nation's most important surveillance tools.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 11 June 2026
Ellison’s words may help soothe tensions at the program, which has been roiled in recent days and still faces a difficult summer without more full-time correspondents.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for roil
Cite this Entry
“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roil. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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