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
In other news: Opinion: The bad decision to carry out two major transportation and utility projects simultaneously has roiled traffic in northeast Louisville, our Joe Gerth explains in his latest column.
—
Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 1 Aug. 2025
Trump's on-again, off-again tariff threats have roiled financial markets and disrupted U.S. companies' ability to manage supply chains, production, staffing and prices.
—Dietrich Knauth, USA Today, 31 July 2025
The scandal and her suspension brought fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
These beliefs will only aggravate the divisions that roil our country.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for roil
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Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 1 Aug. 2025
Trump's on-again, off-again tariff threats have roiled financial markets and disrupted U.S. companies' ability to manage supply chains, production, staffing and prices.
—Dietrich Knauth, USA Today, 31 July 2025
The scandal and her suspension brought fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
These beliefs will only aggravate the divisions that roil our country.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 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 6 Aug. 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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