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

As the streets of Lagos begin to roil with protest and repression, Folarin rushes to get his sons out of the city and to safety. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026

The video roiled the campus and led to sharp criticism of university president Mark Welsh, who later resigned, but didn’t offer a reason and never mentioned the video in his resignation announcement. —Juan A. Lozano, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026

The thefts have downed power lines, roiled phone and internet service and disrupted communication to emergency services throughout affected communities. —Sam Blum, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

The resignations reflect the turbulence that has roiled the state over the last month or so as law enforcement officials have clashed over how to respond to violent confrontations during the heightened immigration enforcement. —CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026

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