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
Polls in 2024 show a close contest that – as with Trump's two previous presidential races – has been roiled by Trump's rallies, including the very last week.
—
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
And North Korea’s increasingly bellicose attitude toward its neighbors has roiled China’s diplomatic and economic relations with South Korea and Japan.
—Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
Protests over the ongoing war in Gaza roiled college campuses this election season and, amid the blowback, the Biden-Harris administration has netted criticism from young voters over its handling of the crisis.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Middle East conflict still roils energy markets, just not as much
Prices surged briefly this month after Iran sent missiles into Israel, but many experts see the Israeli response over the weekend as measured, potentially ending a cycle of retaliatory strikes from each side, at least for now.
—Samuel Burke, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
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.
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
And North Korea’s increasingly bellicose attitude toward its neighbors has roiled China’s diplomatic and economic relations with South Korea and Japan.
—Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
Protests over the ongoing war in Gaza roiled college campuses this election season and, amid the blowback, the Biden-Harris administration has netted criticism from young voters over its handling of the crisis.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Middle East conflict still roils energy markets, just not as much
Prices surged briefly this month after Iran sent missiles into Israel, but many experts see the Israeli response over the weekend as measured, potentially ending a cycle of retaliatory strikes from each side, at least for now.
—Samuel Burke, Fortune, 29 Oct. 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 1 Dec. 2024.
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