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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Then, when winds churn up the lake, some of the deeper water can rise to the surface and release the stinky gas into the air. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025 But as the legal system slowly churns along in her case, whole generations of Duxbury children will know the names of Cora, Dawson and Callan from now on. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 8 June 2025 But real stars bubble and churn, especially while imploding, so physicists wondered whether their nonspherical shapes would stop them from forming singularities. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 27 May 2025 Tilling churns up the top several inches of soil, which displaces soil organisms and breaks up soil aggregates. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for churn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churn
Verb
  • These multiband images will help disentangle features like swirling gas and magnetic fields, painting a more dynamic, multidimensional portrait of black hole environments.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 19 June 2025
  • Rumors have swirled that Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce lost 25 pounds this offseason.
    Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • More recently, the actress stirred buzz for gaining 30 pounds to play boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 18 June 2025
  • The beauty and brilliance of Baum’s story is undoubtedly in its timeless power to stir an emotional response in us as adults.
    Hazel Gaynor June 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Bultman felt the Predators needed a center with this pick, boiled the debate down to Martin and Boston College’s James Hagens, and, nodding to Pronman’s comment on the buzz around Martin, went with the hard-nosed pivot from the Soo as his prediction.
    The Athletic NHL Staff, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • Tiny dumplings made with egg, flour and potatoes, deftly rolled off a fork, boiled, then smothered with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan.
    Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Versant, which will be lead by CEO Mark Lazarus when Comcast spins the company off later this year, has been building up a corporate structure — with several executives coming from NBCU’s news operations.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 June 2025
  • The iconic address’ upstairs is all about pitchers of local wheat ales and country DJs spinning Morgan Wallen hits, yet the basement steakhouse is where the sweet tunes from the sizzling stovetop can be heard.
    DeMarco Williams, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • May is introduced accepting an award from a local LGBTQ+ group for her advocacy work, while Angela seethes in the audience.
    Lindsey Bahr, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The way Zay seethes, though, indicates this situation is far from settled.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Churn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churn. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on churn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!