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
Hamilton’s campaign would also certainly roil Kansas Republicans, who have blamed their recent losses in the race for governor on independent candidates and sought to tighten ballot access.
—
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
The case has roiled Malden schools, where Marino teaches at the Linden STEAM school and is the head coach for the girl’s basketball team at Malden High.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
The revelations have roiled business and political elites, and even the British royal family.
—Reuters, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
The speech was heavy on partisan attacks, but light on any real acknowledgment of — or proposed path out of — the mounting political tensions that are roiling the nation under his leadership and threatening his party’s chances of retaining power in the upcoming midterms.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roil
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Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
The case has roiled Malden schools, where Marino teaches at the Linden STEAM school and is the head coach for the girl’s basketball team at Malden High.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
The revelations have roiled business and political elites, and even the British royal family.
—Reuters, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
The speech was heavy on partisan attacks, but light on any real acknowledgment of — or proposed path out of — the mounting political tensions that are roiling the nation under his leadership and threatening his party’s chances of retaining power in the upcoming midterms.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 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 4 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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