churned

past tense of churn
1
as in swirled
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 stirred
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 churned The frigid water of the bay churned 220 feet below him. Johnny Dodd, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025 As Hurricane Erin churned off the North Carolina coast this week, its powerful waves destroyed most of the remaining sea turtle nests on Emerald Isle, dealing a blow to what had been shaping up as a successful nesting season. ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025 Auntie Kay’s question had churned up a whole country of pain inside the old woman. Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025 The news came as Hurricane Erin churned in the Atlantic, with warnings going out along the East Coast. Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025 While many of the male students supported the women in their classes on an individual basis, tensions between them churned more generally. Anne Halsey, JSTOR Daily, 6 Aug. 2025 So far, the region has churned up two tropical storms, two potential tropical disturbances, and it's now being watched closely for the development of yet another system. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025 In the wake of a cyclone, surface water temperatures plummet, and nutrient-rich deeper layers are churned upward. Scott Travers, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025 But other areas that had been under the control of the Kachin resistance were also churned up for rare earth mining, residents say. Hannah Beech, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churned
Verb
  • All the while, speculation swirled around Ruben Amorim’s position as the current head coach.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Rumors swirled this summer about SiriusXM not wanting to renew Stern’s contract, amid his high price tag and his less frequent broadcasting schedule.
    Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Two developments in 1976 had stirred interest in searching for undersea freshwater.
    Rodrique Ngowi, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
  • All this has stirred some fresh thinking among Democrats about whether activists must demand that candidates agree with all of their positions, or whether victory demands more flexibility.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The afternoon sun licked the windscreen of the car, and the heat boiled my skin.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Up to half of the milk products used had been boiled, which would have pasteurized the milk.
    Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Pack Date The pack date is the day the manufacturer washed the eggs, graded them, and put them in cartons.
    Merve Ceylan, Health, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The amoebas are soil organisms that get washed into the warm water and multiply there.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Tales are spun and then immediately tied back up into knots, and its gothic drama provides a fresh new place for Johnson to play in his preferred genre.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Meer took the snap, rolled to his right and spun away from the pressure.
    David Delgado, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After a Joey Estes fastball came near his head, Robles whirled around and chucked his bat at the pitcher.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Between events, Diamandis whirled around, making and cementing connections.
    Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Churned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churned. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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