1
as in swirling
to be in a state of violent rolling motion
the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angering
to make angry
the clerk's brusque refusal of her request roiled her enough to prompt a complaint to his supervisor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roiling
That a website better known for racing to announce celebrity deaths and releasing videos of misbehaving reality stars has turned its eye on DC says something about the anger roiling the nation.
—
Elex Michaelson, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
The conflict has left more than 3,000 dead and caused major disruptions to the world’s supply of oil and natural gas, roiling global markets and pushing up the cost of many basic goods.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The war is roiling oil market Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway leading out of Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported during peacetime, has driven up global oil prices, as have Tehran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Khorus Harmonia hatched organically, a lot having to do with the seismic changes contracting Hollywood and runaway production that is roiling the psyches of everyone who makes a living in its ecosystem.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
The whales started roiling and a sudden gush of blood reddened the water.
—Nathan Rott, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
The tech industry is roiling from sweeping layoffs affecting tens of thousands of workers.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
The president’s comments sparked optimism on Wall Street that the market-roiling war could be coming to an end.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump’s warning is the latest in the fight over the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since the start of the war, halting global shipping and roiling the oil trade.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
Elex Michaelson, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
The conflict has left more than 3,000 dead and caused major disruptions to the world’s supply of oil and natural gas, roiling global markets and pushing up the cost of many basic goods.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The war is roiling oil market Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway leading out of Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported during peacetime, has driven up global oil prices, as have Tehran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Khorus Harmonia hatched organically, a lot having to do with the seismic changes contracting Hollywood and runaway production that is roiling the psyches of everyone who makes a living in its ecosystem.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
The whales started roiling and a sudden gush of blood reddened the water.
—Nathan Rott, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
The tech industry is roiling from sweeping layoffs affecting tens of thousands of workers.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
The president’s comments sparked optimism on Wall Street that the market-roiling war could be coming to an end.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump’s warning is the latest in the fight over the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since the start of the war, halting global shipping and roiling the oil trade.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roiling
Verb
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After weeks of romance rumors swirling on social media, Batula and Wilson addressed the fan speculation in their joint Instagram statement.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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So much so, in fact, that rumors began swirling after the Bully leaks that Ye had been using AI to construct the album.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This causes a rift within the family, particularly angering the eldest son, Erik, who feels deeply betrayed.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The administration also decided to allow the up to 80,000 metric tons of low-tariff, lower-quality beef from Argentina to be imported to help keep grocery prices down, angering cattle ranchers who argue the decision will hurt domestic production and sales.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Before this experience, Stem started her days scrolling social media and the news, churning up feelings of anger like storms in her mind.—
Natalia V. Osipova,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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The company is taking steps to reduce non-essential activity at its mining and haulage operations in Western Australia, according to a filing from Fenix, which also cited fuel supply disruptions posed by Tropical Cyclone Narelle currently churning off the coast.—
Katharine Gemmell,
Bloomberg,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Granular, often infuriating descriptions like that one are ultimately what make Hail Mary sing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
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Instead of infuriating customers at drive-thrus, the company is looking to exasperate its existing employees with the tech instead.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Add eggs to a pot of already boiling water.—
Sarah Jampel,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
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When all are well mixed, pour on the boiling Ale by degrees, beating up the mixture continually; then pour it rapidly backward and forward from one jug to another, keeping one jug raised high above the other; till the flip is smooth and finely frothed.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But every single thing that is enraging us about what’s going on at the federal level is also happening right here in Tarrant County.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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Talking about a movie, good or bad, is free marketing, and Fennell seems to understand better than most that enraging potential ticket-holders is a promotional strategy.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The footnotes are seething with granularity.—
Hermione Lee,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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But it was inspired out of just seething hatred.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s decision to send ICE agents to the airports risks inflaming the situation, lawmakers have said.—
Kevin Freking,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
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The bacterium can also infiltrate the bloodstream, inflaming blood vessels, which may leave lasting damage even in people who recover from the initial infection.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roiling. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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