churned

Definition of churnednext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Don’t miss suja, or black tea churned with butter and salt, which shows up everywhere from afternoon monastery visits to morning breakfast spreads. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026 Much of the enthusiasm stems from the turnover that churned after a 3-14 season. Sam Warren, New York Times, 6 May 2026 The small bubbles that formed on top of the butter Mother churned each morning. Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026 Blastomyces dermatitidis – Found in moist soils and near water bodies; spores can spread when soil is churned by storms, floods, or human activity. Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026 Curious actions have further churned up controversy around elections. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026 Rare was the creative artist, post-1970, who wasn’t churned up by bobbing in the Beatles’ wake. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026 And while the city churned with anger, Se7enbites owner Trina Gregory took steps, swift ones, to bring some beauty back. Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026 Wind gusts buffeted the mountain and churned the air into a flurry of ice crystals that stung the climbers’ faces and crackled against their helmets. Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churned
Verb
  • Social media rumors swirled that the league was blackballing her because of her activism.
    Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • Rumors of cheating swirled around the royal couple since shortly after their wedding in 1947.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • People can get sick after breathing in contaminated particles that get stirred into the air, especially while cleaning or spending time in places where rodents have been active, like sheds, garages, barns, cabins and storage areas.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
  • Adaptogens are everywhere right now — stirred into morning coffee, mixed into mocktails, packed into gummies and even worked into skincare.
    Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • In the new system, post-consumer plastics were first boiled in sulfuric acid for six hours.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
  • Whether baked, fried, boiled or mashed, potatoes are a big part of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Cleanup efforts to collect oil that has washed ashore in the Black Sea port ⁠of Tuapse on Sunday.
    Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
  • Fabric nipple pasties are typically disposable, since they can’t be washed.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Cheers erupted from the crowd as participants spun and laughed, fully embracing the spirit of the decade.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
  • The rotors on the SkyFall helicopters will also be larger than those on Ingenuity, which spun its blades at 2,700 rpm, already 10 times faster than passenger helicopters on Earth.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • Before Kate could respond, Emily whirled around and disappeared inside the house.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
  • Only problem was, teammate Trevor Zegras whirled the rookie around by the neck, and the rest of the Flyers mobbed the ice and pinned Martone against the boards in a wild celebration worthy of a playoff victory.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Despite performing alongside the Sailors, Burney quietly seethed over the way Guzmán treated the band, and Fernández in particular.
    Longreads, Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
  • For the next several years, Hostetler seethed on the bench.
    Tim Rohan, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Churned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churned. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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