rolling

1 of 2

present participle of roll

rolling

2 of 2

adjective

roll·​ing ˈrō-liŋ 

: not having or set to a fixed date or deadline : continually adjustable through a period of time to provide flexibility for individual circumstances

… the city is encouraging families to sign up their kids by June 26, although there is a rolling deadline until Oct. 1. The sooner families apply … the better chance they'll secure the seat they want.

—Matthew Chayes

Many law schools use a rolling admissions process, meaning they evaluate applications as they come in and release admissions decisions, one by one.

—Ilana Kowarski

The Delaware Aglands Foundation Board announced it will institute a rolling application process for its Young Farmer Loan Program to offer young farmers more flexibility in acquiring a farm.

—The Dover Post

Examples of rolling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Fiji's Selestino Ravutaumada was nursing the rolling ball when Adams reached between his legs and touched it down for a try. — ABC News, 4 July 2026

The contemporary residence in New York's scenic Lower Hudson Valley sits above the treeline, with sweeping views across the rolling landscape. — Mark David, Robb Report, 4 July 2026

Lasko’s teammate, Devin Taylor, was able to get up and field the rolling ball that split the two defenders, but Lasko stayed on the ground in what was a pretty ugly crash. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Standard sonar often fails in shallow waters, while cameras are blinded by shifting sands and the simple distortion of rolling ocean waves. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1959, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rolling

• eye rolling
• get rolling
• get/set/start the ball rolling
• keep the ball rolling
• rolling boil
• rolling hitch
• rolling in (something)
• rolling in (the) dough
• rolling mill
• rolling pin
• rolling stock

Rhymes for rolling

• bowling
• coaling
• doling
• growling
• holing
• poling
• polling
• scrolling
• shoaling
• strolling
• tolling
• trolling

Kids Definition

rolling

adjective

roll·​ing

: not having or set to a fixed date or deadline

rolling admissions