roil

verb

ˈrȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce roil (audio)
 transitive sense 2 is also  ˈrī(-ə)l
roiled; roiling; roils

transitive verb

1
a
: to make turbid by stirring up the sediment or dregs of
b
: to stir up : disturb, disorder
2

intransitive verb

: 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 Some of the schools have also been roiled by allegations of antisemitism after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, with Harvard and Penn facing particular scrutiny from alumni and lawmakers. Janet Lorin, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024 Only the 1930s, roiled by the Great Depression, saw a slower growth rate. Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024 As virulent antisemitism roils the nation’s college campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, USC is making a rare gesture to recognize the crippling effect of anti-Jewish hatred on society and the human spirit. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 The day’s events followed a fortnight of roiling controversy over the Tribeca-winning director’s documentary debut, which follows the lengths that women in Europe must go to access medical procedures that are outlawed in their own countries. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 But the changes that have roiled the geopolitical landscape in recent years have left an impression in C-suites around the United States. Jami Miscik, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2024 Part of its recovery from a turbulent 2022, which roiled the stock market, is rooted in cost-cutting measures in the form of layoffs that have resulted in more than 27,000 workers being cut over the course of about the last year and a half. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 While chaos roiled the House Republican conference last year during the speaker saga, Democrats bemoaned the dysfunction that's become the norm in the lower chamber. USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 The controversy over open sourcing generative A.I. — which can create realistic images and videos and recreate humanlike text responses — has roiled the tech world over the past year after the explosion in the popularity of the technology. Cade Metz, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of roil was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near roil

Cite this Entry

“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roil. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

roil

verb
ˈrȯi(ə)l How to pronounce roil (audio)
 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

More from Merriam-Webster on roil

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