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
Homicide and nonfatal shooting totals fell again in 2023, but the city was roiled by robbery and carjacking crews responsible for an overall uptick in violence.
—
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
Still young but generous with roiling acidity that supports meaty flavors that include macarons, Dutch licorice, cherry tart and rum raisin.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Long roiled by Islamist militancy and terror attacks – including a deadly attack on a visiting Sri Lanka cricket team in 2009 – Pakistan has for years been off the roster for international tournaments.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
The developments are rocking an area of the country that traditionally has served as a bastion of steady employment and economic stability through slowdowns or downturns that have roiled other parts of the country.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roil
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
Still young but generous with roiling acidity that supports meaty flavors that include macarons, Dutch licorice, cherry tart and rum raisin.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Long roiled by Islamist militancy and terror attacks – including a deadly attack on a visiting Sri Lanka cricket team in 2009 – Pakistan has for years been off the roster for international tournaments.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
The developments are rocking an area of the country that traditionally has served as a bastion of steady employment and economic stability through slowdowns or downturns that have roiled other parts of the country.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share