roil

verb

ˈrȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce roil (audio)
 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
2

intransitive verb

: 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
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.
Advertisement The power of social media to foment popular protest is no stranger to Asia, where the internet has been a key driver of popular uprisings that toppled governments in Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh in 2024, and continue to roil Indonesia today. Charlie Campbell, Time, 10 Sep. 2025 Airbus has maintained its deliveries target throughout the year, even as tariffs have threatened to roil its business. Russell Leung, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025 Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels? John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025 According to Szetela, this era of expression has seen authors and publishers — many committed to progressive ideals — choosing to self-censor to appease a moral panic roiling the political left. Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for roil

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of roil was in 1590

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roil. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

roil

verb
ˈrȯi(ə)l How to pronounce roil (audio)
 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

More from Merriam-Webster on roil

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