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
Hundreds of businesses across the Twin Cities were closed Friday as tens of thousands of Minnesotans braved sub-zero temperatures to protest the federal immigration crackdown that has roiled their state.
—
Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Tremain’s novel of youthful romantic obsession and painful growing up reminded me in its comic astringency of Muriel Spark, and, in its respect for the roiling emotions of one’s teens and twenties, of Sally Rooney.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Tamma, who is gay, is a roiling stew of adolescent emotions further fueled by physical abuse suffered in childhood at her father’s hands and by the neglect and disdain dumped on her by her mother.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
As the cities roil in the wake of poet Renee Good’s murder, some stores are handing out free whistles to abet the ad-hoc neighborly alert network.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roil
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Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Tremain’s novel of youthful romantic obsession and painful growing up reminded me in its comic astringency of Muriel Spark, and, in its respect for the roiling emotions of one’s teens and twenties, of Sally Rooney.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Tamma, who is gay, is a roiling stew of adolescent emotions further fueled by physical abuse suffered in childhood at her father’s hands and by the neglect and disdain dumped on her by her mother.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
As the cities roil in the wake of poet Renee Good’s murder, some stores are handing out free whistles to abet the ad-hoc neighborly alert network.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 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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