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
The new jobs report arrived as markets roil and gasoline prices surge in response to the war with Iran.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The North African nation today is in a power vacuum and roiled by conflicts between rival armed gangs, some with ties to international terrorism.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, was up 24% and hit its highest level since April, when markets were roiled by uncertainty about tariffs.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
One simple way to understand that is that many studies assume sea levels without waves or currents, when the reality at the water's edge is of oceans constantly roiled by wind, tides, currents, changing temperatures and things like El Niño, said the authors.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roil
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Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The North African nation today is in a power vacuum and roiled by conflicts between rival armed gangs, some with ties to international terrorism.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, was up 24% and hit its highest level since April, when markets were roiled by uncertainty about tariffs.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
One simple way to understand that is that many studies assume sea levels without waves or currents, when the reality at the water's edge is of oceans constantly roiled by wind, tides, currents, changing temperatures and things like El Niño, said the authors.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 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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