CHURNING Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

churning

verb

present participle of churn

as in swirling

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

as in stirring

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 churning On Thursday, July 16, federal health officials said lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants had been linked to the ongoing outbreak of the stomach-churning parasitic infection. — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 17 July 2026 It's been a tough season for the four-time champ, who currently sits down in P7 in the standings, and that's because the rumor mill has been churning about his future with the team. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026 Though the country’s exports have been churning along at an extraordinary pace — China shipped a record $412 billion of goods last month — domestic consumption has sagged, leading some analysts to warn of a potential deflationary spiral. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 15 July 2026 Several cases of cyclosporiasis, a stomach-churning illness caused by a parasite often found on produce and herbs, have been recorded in Kentucky. — Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 July 2026 Dupuis still shreds on 1331, but her guitar takes a supporting role this time, churning along with the industrial percussion that powers the catchy but often chorusless tracks. — Grace Robins-Somerville, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026 The internet’s reactionary machinery is churning at full force after Graham’s sudden death and Mitch McConnell’s illness. — Olivia George, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 If anything, though, the core issue with the churning remake machine has always been Disney’s reluctance to take risks with their material. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 Elsewhere, stocks have been on even worse stomach-churning rollercoasters. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for churning

Verb

This entire scene is terrifically tense, kicking off with a stunning shot of the two women standing in defensive positions on the golf course, birds swirling ominously in the cloudy sky above.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 July 2026
The rumors that Travis Kelce is about to retire have been swirling for a while.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 July 2026

Definition of swirling

Verb

His comments come as state and federal health officials have confirmed 1,645 cases of cyclosporiasis as the cause of the stomach-stirring infection that is under investigation.

— Terry Collins, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Hans Zimmer’s score and Wally Pfister’s cinematography are just as stirring and invigorating as Nolan’s premise.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Definition of stirring

Verb

Each design was simulated spinning mid-flight and overlaid on 100 real-world backgrounds, then scored by a perceptual model built to mimic human vision, where a lower score meant better camouflage.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
The film is a journey of nine years, watching that thread keep spinning and visiting ten communities on five continents.

— Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026

Definition of spinning

Verb

For much of the past week, all that Colombia had been able to agree upon was the pre-eminence of Luis Diaz, who remained a whirling dervish throughout the match as his side’s outstanding player.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 June 2026
That’s the question that has been whirling around Hollywood since the news broke that Amazon MGM Studios was dropping the feature just months after Amazon entered into a $50 billion investment with Sam Altman’s OpenAI.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2026