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
Dear Reader, For Bon Appétit’s food editors, the holidays roll around when the heat of summer still roils the sidewalks outside the Test Kitchen.
—
Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Dec. 2025
But revelations in recent months that politicians, officials and contractors had looted billions of dollars from the nationwide program supposed to mitigate their effects have roiled the country.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Simultaneously, at the federal level, HHS — the backstop for states in situations of crisis — is roiling.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for roil
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Dec. 2025
But revelations in recent months that politicians, officials and contractors had looted billions of dollars from the nationwide program supposed to mitigate their effects have roiled the country.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Simultaneously, at the federal level, HHS — the backstop for states in situations of crisis — is roiling.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for roil
Cite this Entry
“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roil. Accessed 26 Dec. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share