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

After pro-democracy protests roiled the city in 2019, Beijing cracked down on freedom of speech, and restrictions have continued to tighten. — Joshua Yang, Washington Post, 15 July 2026

The new constructions, which are popping up across the country to meet the demand for AI, are roiled in controversy. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Asia’s chipmakers led a tech selloff that roiled global markets on Monday, adding to concerns about the sustainability of the AI investment boom. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 July 2026

That’s not only because of the possibilities to work with customers on development or respond quickly to quality issues, but also in light of the pandemic-era chip shortages that roiled the auto industry. — Sacbee.com, 13 July 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