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
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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
At the start of the Global Fashion Summit, Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, offered one of the event’s few hints of the geopolitical turmoil roiling the outside world.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
The issue of antisemitism is also roiling the Green Party, which has passed Labour in the polls, but is now facing numerous scandals involving its candidates posting antisemitic content.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Nonetheless, Munden added his own visual flair, with color saturation, distorted close-ups to show the characters’ disorientation, and mesmerizing shots of nature writ large (raging fires, roiling ocean waves, torrential storms) and small (ants devouring a bug).
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
At the time, the boy was the youngest person to be fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in years, with the shooting roiling the city, leading to protests, calls for reform and eventually policy changes around when and how police can chase people.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Choreographer Amy Campbell has created a consistent kinetic style that becomes as important as the roiling rock score in keeping this show on track.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
House Republicans are fracturing over a bipartisan immigration plan, a feud that serves as a microcosm of the broader battle roiling the party ahead of the midterms.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
But after the price of oil surged with the advent of the Iran war, roiling expectations for inflation, the markets began pricing those cuts out, with some investors even bracing for the possibility of rate hikes this year.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
And with recent geopolitical events like the war in Iran roiling markets, investing feels more precarious than ever.
—Jessica Bryant, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
The issue of antisemitism is also roiling the Green Party, which has passed Labour in the polls, but is now facing numerous scandals involving its candidates posting antisemitic content.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Nonetheless, Munden added his own visual flair, with color saturation, distorted close-ups to show the characters’ disorientation, and mesmerizing shots of nature writ large (raging fires, roiling ocean waves, torrential storms) and small (ants devouring a bug).
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
At the time, the boy was the youngest person to be fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in years, with the shooting roiling the city, leading to protests, calls for reform and eventually policy changes around when and how police can chase people.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Choreographer Amy Campbell has created a consistent kinetic style that becomes as important as the roiling rock score in keeping this show on track.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
House Republicans are fracturing over a bipartisan immigration plan, a feud that serves as a microcosm of the broader battle roiling the party ahead of the midterms.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
But after the price of oil surged with the advent of the Iran war, roiling expectations for inflation, the markets began pricing those cuts out, with some investors even bracing for the possibility of rate hikes this year.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
And with recent geopolitical events like the war in Iran roiling markets, investing feels more precarious than ever.
—Jessica Bryant, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roiling
Verb
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As zero-proof drinks move from novelty to mainstream, understanding what’s swirling around in your glass matters more than ever.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
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How the global media coverage swirling around the investigation will impact Mango remains to be seen.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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In the biblical Tower of Babel story, humans are driven by hubris to try to create a tower tall enough to touch the sky, angering God in the process.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
25 May 2026
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Mando has a brush with death after unwisely angering the Hutts, who task him with hunting down Jabba's son, Rotta (Jeremy Allen White).—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Melting snow patches and churning snow-making machines marked much of the late winter conditions across California ski areas this year.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
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Good morning, Mason Miller was on the wrong side of a twisting turning gut-churning ninth inning this time.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The film can also feel infuriating — quite intentionally so.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
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One of the most consistently infuriating elements of Yellowstone was how Sheridan kept positioning the Duttons — a family of land barons with immense political power and a penchant for murder — as righteous underdogs.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Officials had announced Monday morning that the risk of a BLEVE, or boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, had been eliminated after crews sprayed more than 9 million gallons of water onto the tank.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
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The evacuation zone around GKN Aerospace plant was reduced 65% late Monday, May 25, after officials announced the threat of a highly destructive BLEVE — boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion — had been avoided.—
Kevin Sablan,
Oc Register,
26 May 2026
Verb
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In May 2021, after being elected to Parliament, Ben-Gvir established a makeshift office in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, enraging local residents.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
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This is a sad story, an enraging one, a maddening one.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
Verb
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An edgy confrontation The Rangers were still seething as Keenan attempted to address the team following a demoralizing 3-1 loss, with a few snapping back or muttering under their breath.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Was Tom seething on the inside?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Verb
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On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.—
Justin Fishel,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roiling. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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