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

The fight between Comulate and Applied reflects larger dynamics roiling the software industry as AI agents and vibe coding tools, led by AI developer Anthropic, threaten to take market share from software incumbents. —John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Read the story » Editor’s Pick Revelations about the Moonies’ links to public officials—and allegations of financial and emotional abuse—have roiled East Asia. —Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2026

His death has roiled activists, gun rights groups and lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans. —Karen Brooks Harper, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026

California’s Republican politicians have stayed relatively quiet about a federal immigration agent’s shooting of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, even as his death roils both state and national politics. —David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 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