churns

present tense third-person singular of churn
1
as in swirls
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 stirs
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 churns Beachgoers are being warned to stay off the sand and out of the water as Hurricane Erin churns toward New York, where it is expected to cause dangerous rip currents. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025 The buck kicks his feet, churns mud, and slings debris skyward. Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2024 As Hurricane Milton churns toward Tampa Bay, scientists say the swiftly intensifying storm could bring historic devastation to Florida’s second-largest metropolitan area. Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churns
Verb
  • Art reigns at the Prado (home to Velázquez and Goya) and the Reina Sofía—where Picasso’s Guernica stirs the soul—but Madrid’s heartbeat is felt in the fierce rhythm of flamenco and the roar of Real Madrid fans at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • In Gemini, Uranus stirs the mind like a kaleidoscope of flashing insights and alternative solutions.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Their eponymous theme sets the tone with a churning brew of twinkling synths and ritualistic percussion, both of which are eventually subsumed into the supernatural (represented by the theremin) before a crash of guitar boils everything together into chaos.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025
  • However, these blemishes are often a skin condition other than acne, such as folliculitis, boils, contact dermatitis, or keratosis pilaris.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The small-batch ice cream shop spins up scoops inspired by classic Filipino flavors, including as Ube Cookies & Cream, Jackfruit Chili Nut, and Keso Guava Cheesecake.
    Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Dullness is a general problem in Sacrifice, which spins its wheels in its middle stretch, killing time before its fiery finale.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This is why Dijon’s language works best as sound, not narrative—his rangy, raspy voice seethes and triumphs, mocks and threatens; there’s no world in which his polygonal perspective can be discerned from a lyric sheet.
    Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • During inflation, everything got bigger, including the sub-microscopic quantum foam that constantly roils and bubbles at the tiniest scales.
    Paul Sutter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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