1
as in swirling
to be in a state of violent rolling motion
the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angering
to make angry
the clerk's brusque refusal of her request roiled her enough to prompt a complaint to his supervisor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roiling
After all, 2026 is shaping up to be a chaotic year, with an uncertain economy, political pandemonium roiling every market, and a falling dollar.
—
Michael Y. Park, Architectural Digest, 17 Feb. 2026
Enveloped in all this optical dazzlement, and cutting across the frame with their bold, frontal gazes, the women are the very embodiment of dignity and power, mirrors of the independence roiling at the heart of the nation.
—Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
The fight between Comulate and Applied reflects larger dynamics roiling the software industry as AI agents and vibe coding tools, led by AI developer Anthropic, threaten to take market share from software incumbents.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Cost-of-living concerns, after all, are also roiling France, Germany, Canada, and Britain.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
Tamma, who is gay, is a roiling stew of adolescent emotions further fueled by physical abuse suffered in childhood at her father’s hands and by the neglect and disdain dumped on her by her mother.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
But the appearance of planetary nebulas has little to do with planets at all—these nebulas are actually roiling clouds of hot gas that emanate from dying sunlike stars and linger after their deaths.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
Videos of the fatal shooting have spread rapidly online in recent days, roiling the political landscape and prompting protests in Kansas City, Minneapolis and across the country.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Activist Charlie Kirk was shot to death while speaking at Utah Valley University in September, roiling the conservative movement.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Michael Y. Park, Architectural Digest, 17 Feb. 2026
Enveloped in all this optical dazzlement, and cutting across the frame with their bold, frontal gazes, the women are the very embodiment of dignity and power, mirrors of the independence roiling at the heart of the nation.
—Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
The fight between Comulate and Applied reflects larger dynamics roiling the software industry as AI agents and vibe coding tools, led by AI developer Anthropic, threaten to take market share from software incumbents.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Cost-of-living concerns, after all, are also roiling France, Germany, Canada, and Britain.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
Tamma, who is gay, is a roiling stew of adolescent emotions further fueled by physical abuse suffered in childhood at her father’s hands and by the neglect and disdain dumped on her by her mother.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
But the appearance of planetary nebulas has little to do with planets at all—these nebulas are actually roiling clouds of hot gas that emanate from dying sunlike stars and linger after their deaths.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
Videos of the fatal shooting have spread rapidly online in recent days, roiling the political landscape and prompting protests in Kansas City, Minneapolis and across the country.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Activist Charlie Kirk was shot to death while speaking at Utah Valley University in September, roiling the conservative movement.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roiling
Verb
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Giancarlo Stanton didn’t have much to say Tuesday with reports swirling that Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, planned to abruptly announce his resignation.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In 1955, Universal arranged for closeted gay heartthrob Rock Hudson to be married off to his agent’s secretary amid swirling speculation about his sexuality.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But when the new terminal opened, the historic plane did not make the move, angering aviation enthusiasts.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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What’s more, all that accomplishes is annoying and angering the driver who is being tailgated.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Part of what makes Nightborn both stomach-churning and thought-provoking is how all the crazy stuff happening is just a slightly — okay, substantially — exaggerated version of the reality so many first-time parents face.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Some nifty drives from Hill has helped keep the Aggies' offense churning despite a poor shooting afternoon so far.—
American Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The gesture provoked a seismic reaction internationally while infuriating Olympic officials who claimed Smith and Carlos used the world stage to humiliate their home country.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Seeing Sparkle cry about Landfair’s experience — something that Landfair hadn’t fully come to terms with — was discombobulating and infuriating.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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My blood was boiling a little bit.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some liked to have them on hand, and others couldn’t fathom not boiling eggs themselves.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Talking about a movie, good or bad, is free marketing, and Fennell seems to understand better than most that enraging potential ticket-holders is a promotional strategy.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
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Hulu This startling three-part docuseries tells the unfortunate, enraging story of Larry Ray.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But seething popular anger has not abated in the weeks following a government crackdown that killed thousands of protesters, according to accounts from inside the country.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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For most people, action, cultivating a sense of agency, beats seething.—
Wendy Nelson Espeland,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Further inflaming the issue this week was images of Liam Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was detained by ICE agents along with his father in Minnesota, prompting strong pushback from local officials.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
22 Jan. 2026
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On top of that, Sybil receives a terminal breast cancer diagnosis, further inflaming tensions throughout the house over the holidays.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roiling. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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