roiled; roiling; roils
1
2
: to move turbulently : be in a state of turbulence or agitation
conflicting emotions roiling inside her
Examples of roil in a Sentence
Financial markets have been roiled by the banking crisis.
the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore
Recent Examples on the Web
An offhand remark from the prime minister of Japan has roiled Beijing, unleashing an onslaught of accusations and even threats of decapitation from Chinese officials.
—
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
Last year was the hottest on record, capping a decade of unprecedented heat, and the impacts are already roiling the planet — from hurricanes and floods to fires and extreme heat.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
With a few simple directions from Lightfoot, the tape started rolling, band members began playing, and out came a haunting, unrelenting sound that evoked the sensation of a roiling sea, complete with an opening drum fill that struck like a thunderclap.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 9 Nov. 2025
For the market, the coaching carousel will keep roiling until vacancies are filled, and big names like Riley will continue to get floated around.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roil
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Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
Last year was the hottest on record, capping a decade of unprecedented heat, and the impacts are already roiling the planet — from hurricanes and floods to fires and extreme heat.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
With a few simple directions from Lightfoot, the tape started rolling, band members began playing, and out came a haunting, unrelenting sound that evoked the sensation of a roiling sea, complete with an opening drum fill that struck like a thunderclap.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 9 Nov. 2025
For the market, the coaching carousel will keep roiling until vacancies are filled, and big names like Riley will continue to get floated around.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roil
Cite this Entry
“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roil. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
roil
verb
ˈrȯi(ə)l 
sense 2 is also ˈrī(ə)l
1
: to make cloudy or muddy by stirring up
roil the water of a brook
2
: to rouse the anger of
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