CHURN Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

churn

verb

Definition of churn

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

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 Since January 2023, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has received more than 28,000 complaints, many of which describe the foul smell as rotten, putrid and stomach-churning. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 As dryers tumbled and washers churned in the background last Wednesday, children at the Wash Smart Laundry on Summit Street in Elgin were learning skills to prepare them for kindergarten. — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026 Beneath the churning buzz of the water pump in the basement corner, a milk snake coiled unnoticed. — Madeline Ffitch, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026 White froth churned as the slightly more alkaline water cascaded into the gray-blue harbor. — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for churn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for churn

Verb

But up to this point, DIIV have endured—thrived, even—because of their refusal to capitulate to the industry winds that swirled around them.

— Larry Fitzmaurice, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
Conversations began to swirl in Newsom's circle following Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike, The New York Times reported.

— Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of swirl

Verb

All of them are troubled by increasing animosity from their many political adversaries, especially because the series’ big bad, an immortal named Koschei the Deathless, seems to be stirring in mysterious ways.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
Her father, who was Jonah’s partner, killed himself after the disappearance of his wife, just to stir in some extra disaster to start.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of stir

Verb

Plus, the sauce cooks while the pasta boils, putting this firmly in weeknight-dinner territory.

— Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026
A lot of uncertainty remains in the lift capacity of Starship, as well as in how much cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen will boil off in orbit and how efficient the process of transferring propellants from one ship to another will be.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of boil

Verb

Once the researchers accounted for this requirement, the window for a split narrowed considerably, potentially remaining open only for black holes spinning close to their maximum possible rate.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Christopher Bell, who entered just five points behind Larson, crashed after spinning while entering the pits under green for his first pit stop on Lap 56.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of spin

Verb

Audiences may justifiably seethe at how Sutskever’s safety-first mindset gets steamrolled by Altman’s slick accelerationism (as happened in real life).

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
So, expect Liverpool fans to be seething inside and outside of Anfield.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of seethe

Browse Nearby Words

churls

churn

churned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Churn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churn. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of churn

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on churn

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

satiate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes