churn

verb

Definition of churnnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Dana Point is just one of several Southern California communities that felt the impact of the extremely strong surf generated by Hurricane Marie, which churned hundreds of miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean over the weekend. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026 In this case, the objective is to uncover the reasons why customers buy, stall or churn. — Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026 But the factory in southern Germany has to churn a lot of rockets for Isar to fully take advantage of additional launch sites. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026 Lowell will be strong enough to significantly churn up the ocean outward from its center, stacking up big waves and sending more water than usual at Hawaii’s southern shores. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for churn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churn
  1. swirl
  2. stir
  3. boil
  4. spin
  5. seethe
Verb
  • Using huge infrared telescopes that can see through that veil of dust, astronomers have been able to watch some of these stars swirling around the black hole.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bethany Donaphin Head of WNBA league operations As rumors swirled about Engelbert’s enture, insiders around the league have been mentioning Donaphin as a potential replacement.
    — Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • Gizelle, who has been stirring the pot and playing producer for everyone on the trip, keeps up her conniving ways by sitting down all the RHOP ladies except for Candiace during their Potomac retrospective moment at the party.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The Moon enters adventurous Leo, stirring your interest in travel, education, or an idea that could expand your options.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of stir
Verb
  • Waiting for Lefty The actor Steven Pasquale makes his directing debut with this revival of Clifford Odets’s 1935 play made famous by the Group Theatre, about the boiling tensions of a Depression-era New York cabdrivers’ strike.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Consider boiling your water for at least one to three minutes, depending on your altitude, to purify it.
    — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of boil
Verb
  • Marie has been reduced to a low-pressure system that is still spinning offshore and sending a deep tropical air mass to the Southern California region, said climate scientist Daniel Swain.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • DJs spun Wasian musicians, including Rodrigo, Mitski, and Japanese Breakfast.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of spin
Verb
  • Villains dating hot blondes has the traditional golf journalists seething while SeanJo, myself and Nightcaps legend Zach Dean sit back and just smile.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In the very human-scale role of Chef, all that glamour and pageantry seethes just beneath the skin.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of seethe

Browse Nearby Words

churls
churn
churned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Churn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churn. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on churn

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about churn

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