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
But the movie gets lost in the gulf between standard, if illuminating, biography and roiling existential crisis.
—
Wesley Morris, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Their backgrounds and temperaments could hardly be more different, yet both sense in each other a missing piece.
Neglected and roiling with rage, Darren needs to be loved but can’t face his own vulnerability.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The preeminent art show Documenta, which takes place once every five years in Kassel, Germany, has enacted a new code of conduct three years after an antisemitism scandal roiled its 2022 edition.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Trump's remarks surprised the press corps and roiled social media.
—Marc Caputo, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for roil 
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Wesley Morris, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Their backgrounds and temperaments could hardly be more different, yet both sense in each other a missing piece.
Neglected and roiling with rage, Darren needs to be loved but can’t face his own vulnerability.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The preeminent art show Documenta, which takes place once every five years in Kassel, Germany, has enacted a new code of conduct three years after an antisemitism scandal roiled its 2022 edition.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Trump's remarks surprised the press corps and roiled social media.
—Marc Caputo, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
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 21 Feb. 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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