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

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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 Forecasters are warning about dangerous conditions at Southern California beaches this week, with high surf, erosion and possible coastal flooding, as a pair of storms roil warm Pacific waters and send yet more southerly swells toward the shoreline. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 As the next chief, Turner inherits a police force roiled by recent controversy and more than a dozen lawsuits filed by current and former members. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026 Cabarrus County is facing another shake-up in its top leadership, with Commissioner Larry Pittman’s resignation adding to nearly two years of turnover that has roiled the county’s governing board and administrative staff. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026 Over his shoulder was an enormous portrait of the hatchet-wielding temperance crusader Carrie Nation, an icon of resistance to the excesses of the first Gilded Age, when similar discontent had roiled the prairies. — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roil

Verb

Now, questions are swirling around the agreement, including who will pay for the benefits and when residents would receive them.

— Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
Burnham’s comments come as questions about the incident – which triggered a major security response in the area and sparked international alarm – continue to swirl on both sides of the Atlantic.

— Kara Fox, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of swirl

Verb

Other factors sending Treasury yields higher are also continuing to churn, including worries about the big debt loads that Washington and other governments worldwide are supporting.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
In the churning, deep waters of the Bay of All Saints, conventional construction equipment doesn’t stand a chance.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of churn

Verb

Some administration officials argue that Washington is merely trying to avoid unnecessarily infuriating Beijing.

— David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
Some descendants worry that the new research from Kurin and his colleagues will only infuriate die-hard Jefferson apologists further.

— Andrew Lawler, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of infuriate

Verb

Counsel was enraged that his gambit was foiled by one jury holdout on the insanity argument.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
That day in August, the woman was awakened by Ross, who was enraged by a photo she was tagged in on Instagram, according to Ross’ arrest report.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of enrage

Verb

The frustration that seethes through the show is often born of the disappointment that a form as quicksilver and astounding as songwriting can be yoked to small-minded and propagandistic ends.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Tom Rhys Harries seethes as Matt Hagen, a pretty boy who loses his looks only to regain them from an experimental procedure that makes a jumble of his psyche.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of seethe

Verb

What annoys me is that this whole thing is called Roaring 20th, so why was there not a flapper and Great Gatsby theme?

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Coach Rhett Lashlee was already annoyed with special teams coming into the game, and that was before the Mustangs botched two PAT attempts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of annoy

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 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of roil

verb

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