ROIL Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

roil

verb

ˈrȯi(-ə)l

Definition of roil

as in to swirl

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to anger

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

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.

Recent Examples of roil More than 50,000 people are estimated to have died across Europe’s cities during the brutal heat waves that roiled the continent this summer — making this year’s heat the region’s deadliest on record, according to a new analysis. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 The addition of this ad so close to Election Day roiled races in Ohio up and down the ballot. — Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 In an interview conducted earlier this month, after the first large-scale demonstrations in Paris, Jenny Holzer addressed the protests that have continued to roil the city in the weeks since. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 The unpopular war, which has roiled oil markets, has been a drag on Republicans in the midterms. — Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roil

Verb

The composition of these jets isn’t crystal clear, but scientists suspect electrons, positrons (the antimatter versions of electrons) and perhaps protons are pulled along swirling magnetic lines before being sent out from the black hole’s poles.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
As for the suites, the highlight is their private terraces, peaceful havens from which to admire, paradoxically, the urban whirlwind swirling below.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of swirl

Verb

Data center demand began driving up electric bills last year across a 13-state electricity grid stretching from Illinois to New Jersey and Maryland, angering ratepayers.

— Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Indeed, the survey showed that use of the horn is the most common action when drivers consider another driver to be annoying or angering them.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

These are songs that iterate and elevate minor party fouls into dramas of symphonic proportion, arrangements that articulate the heightened emotions churning inside anxious minds.

— Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
White froth churned as the slightly more alkaline water cascaded into the gray-blue harbor.

— Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of churn

Verb

Its stainless steel body can last for years of making pour-over coffee every morning or evening cups of hot tea, and the kettle also comes in handy to boil water fast for everyday recipes.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2026
Roast halves cut side down rather than boiling them, since roasting concentrates the sugars and cuts moisture.

— Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of boil

Verb

They were enraged at the way the current administration had decimated progressive policies toward children, women, people of color, gay people and transgender people.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
The administration removed hundreds of trees from the East Potomac Golf Links over the weekend, enraging the judge.

— Julia Boehning, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of enrage

Verb

Audiences may justifiably seethe at how Sutskever’s safety-first mindset gets steamrolled by Altman’s slick accelerationism (as happened in real life).

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
So, expect Liverpool fans to be seething inside and outside of Anfield.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of seethe

Browse Nearby Words

roguishness

roil

roiled

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Style

“Roil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roil. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of roil

verb

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