roiled; roiling; roils
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
The federal charges come two months after Thao was recalled from office amid roiling voter frustrations with crime, homelessness and a sense that city government is not responsive to citizens’ needs.
—
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Crane Beach is where the Caribbean and Atlantic meet in a roiling bay below dramatic cliffs in the southeast.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Over Christmas, posts on X by Elon Musk and his allies in the tech sector in support of the H-1B visa program drew a backlash from MAGA accounts and created a roiling intra-right debate on immigration.
—The Editors, National Review, 30 Dec. 2024
Through squints, yells, and outsize reactions, Tadanobu Asano created a character whose interiority is always roiling and reaching, someone who finds life unfulfilling and doesn’t understand why this is all there is.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
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Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Crane Beach is where the Caribbean and Atlantic meet in a roiling bay below dramatic cliffs in the southeast.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Over Christmas, posts on X by Elon Musk and his allies in the tech sector in support of the H-1B visa program drew a backlash from MAGA accounts and created a roiling intra-right debate on immigration.
—The Editors, National Review, 30 Dec. 2024
Through squints, yells, and outsize reactions, Tadanobu Asano created a character whose interiority is always roiling and reaching, someone who finds life unfulfilling and doesn’t understand why this is all there is.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roil
Dictionary Entries Near roil
Cite this Entry
“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roil. Accessed 26 Jan. 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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