churn

1
as in to swirl
to be in a state of violent rolling motion a churning sea made getting to the island a risky undertaking

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2
as in to stir
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly churn the cream until it turns into butter

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of churn McMillan caught the pass between defenders and churned up the field. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2025 My stomach is already churning. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025 But the news cycle just keeps churning with new revelations about how tight Trump and Epstein were. Chris Brennan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 In August, Hurricane Erin brought heavy rain and strong winds to the northeast Caribbean before growing in size and churning up high surf and dangerous rip currents along the East Coast. Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for churn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churn
Verb
  • The bristles are neither too floppy nor too stiff, neither too long nor too short, and are cut to the perfect rounded shape that’s just right for swirling pigment over the apples or spreading it along your cheekbones—without having to work too hard for a completely natural finish.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • These familiar, turbulent morasses of swirling droplets continue to stymie scientists.
    Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The shooting also has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.
    Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Gradually stir in milk and beer.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The dish, a traditional cornerstone of Mexican cuisine that dates back over a thousand years, is a corn wrapping, called masa, filled with meats, vegetables and cheese, rolled then steamed or boiled in a corn husk.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Start by boiling a pot of hot water on your stove and pouring it slowly down your drain to loosen up the hair, food, or other debris.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Delivering an incredible 280 Air Watts of suction through its fifth generation Hyperdymium capable of spinning at 135,000rpm, the flagship model boasts a number of other supporting technologies such as laser dust detection, whole-machine HEPA filtration, and a 70-minute runtime.
    Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Gaudí’s structure is a head-spinning mixture of morphing geometrical forms, many inspired by nature.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Many also seethed over the fact that some of these same teams had memorialized George Floyd, the Black man murdered on video by Derek Chauvin, then a Minneapolis police officer, in 2020, whose death set off a nationwide wave of street demonstrations.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The Colts’ late owner used to seethe over the fact that his team couldn’t find a way to win a Week 1 game, but the Colts’ 11-year streak — the second-longest in NFL history heading into Sunday — is now over thanks to a 33-8 rout over the Dolphins.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Churn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churn. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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