churning

present participle of churn
1
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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2
as in stirring
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 churning All of this good fortune heaped a mountain of pressure on Burke, who was then living in Virginia and working as an associate editor at Katie Couric Media, a fast-churning life-style site that traffics primarily in wellness and shopping content. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026 Participants will tackle a 5K trail run while churning their own ice cream. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 The stock ran to a 52-week high of $219 but has spent the past several weeks churning in a range, unable to clear $218 on multiple attempts. Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 In addition to the stomach-churning process of watching the Dodgers try to seal their championship fate, there was also the guilty pleasure of watching a particular left-hander take the mound. Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2026 In the churning pool, Max grapples with Tom, who locks him in a stranglehold. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026 Today, cases of cyclosporiasis, a stomach-churning parasitic infection known for causing explosive diarrhea, have now reached 45 states. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Three tropical systems were churning across the Pacific Ocean early Tuesday, fueled by exceptionally warm ocean waters linked to an already record-breaking El Niño and a huge marine heat wave. Ben Noll, Washington Post, 28 July 2026 Fausto has been churning in the Pacific while Tropical Storm Bertha moved along the Gulf Coast. ABC News, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churning
Verb
  • Without an arrest, swirling suspicions were having their own corrosive effects on Incline Village, resident Michelle Pettibone said.
    Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This is called a Balmer break, which generally indicates dense, photon-absorbing gas swirling in the atmospheres of ancient stars.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 9th House of Travel, Learning, and Perspective, stirring curiosity and a desire to expand.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Nevertheless, everything just merges into one, even at times of high drama, such as Middlesbrough’s stirring run to the 2006 UEFA Cup final.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Stir into the boiling milk and boil on low heat until thick, stirring all the time.
    David Morgan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The utter carnage that follows brings major developments for all the main characters still on the chessboard — and many gruesome deaths by dragon fire, boiling oil, spikes and even catapults.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Hubble’s images reveal an intricate web of gas and dust spreading outward from the explosion’s center, where a rapidly spinning neutron star remains.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In his 12 seasons at Penn State, James Franklin went 4-21 against top-10 opponents and 1-18 against the best in the Big Ten, spinning the Lions and their fans through the same laundry cycle every year.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The systems also can spin up whirling columns of flame — usually a fire whirl, which Giannaros describes as a dust devil made of fire and heat instead of dust.
    Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • The Argentina fans roused themselves, whirling their shirts above their heads.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • Ser Criston Cole, more than perhaps any other character in this story, is seething with resentment.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Relentless, seething power propels you down the strip faster than your body and brain can cope with.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Churning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churning. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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