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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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

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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 churns Forecasters are monitoring a busy Atlantic Ocean after Tropical Storm Humberto formed in the Central Tropical Atlantic, as Hurricane Gabrielle churns to the northeast, and a third potential cyclone threatens to follow. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 As Hurricane Gabrielle churns in the open Atlantic, forecasters are watching two tropical waves that could soon develop – signs the slow hurricane season is beginning to heat up. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025 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
  • But as the trial date approaches and uncertainty swirls over what the lawsuit could mean for the future of stock car racing, many of the team owners expressed a feeling of urgency to see the litigation resolved and indicated the current charter system was vital for their continued existence.
    Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Energy has had a tremendous five-year run, but investors have been cautious in 2025 as uncertainty swirls around policymakers.
    Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Ryder Cup, too, stirs intense concentrations of emotion given the team format.
    Kevin Coulson, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • You're being pulled beneath the surface and something ancient stirs in the black below.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Once sugar is dissolved, cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2025
  • How could something that boils water ever get dirty?
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The vortex is a gigantic, circular area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that typically spins over the North Pole (as its name suggests).
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • When Charlotte spins the words 'Some Pig,' [kids reading the book] may not know where that came from.
    DeVonne Goode, Parents, 1 Oct. 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
  • The debate now roils state legislatures nationwide.
    Laurie Kellman, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
  • 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 8 Oct. 2025.

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