CHURNING Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

churning

verb

present participle of churn

as in swirling

to be in a state of violent rolling motion a churning sea made getting to the island a risky undertaking

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stirring

to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly churn the cream until it turns into butter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 churning Cramer also pushed back on the notion that Cook was merely a skilled operator who kept Apple's machine churning. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Ashcroft keeps the pace steady and the atmosphere churning, while Deming conjures a more generic but perfectly effective air of menace in damp shades of brown and teal. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 Peaceful, lush green valleys are transformed in an instant with the violence of churning water. — Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 Like most neighborhood kids, Wang was obliged to help with household chores after class, especially churning soymilk by endlessly hauling his uncle’s giant stone mill around. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 An estimated 1,000 volunteers hauled sandbags to Rocky Ripple's levee, hoping to raise the barrier high enough to fend off the churning water, which managed to seep through in some places. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2026 This season’s combination of a sputtering offense and a shaky bullpen – exposed again Sunday as the Brewers padded their lead in the late innings – is already way too stomach-churning for Dodger fans. — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 17 Aug. 2026 Yet the high-speed ferry rides can be stomach-churning for some tourists, according to a number of social media posts. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 But rather than embrace that way of thinking as her ethos going forward, Teng chooses to elide much (but not all) of the most stomach-churning footage at her disposal. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for churning

Verb

Starting Friday, the strong wind shear that’s been swirling in the Atlantic all season and keeping most storms at bay is expected to pick up again, wearing away at Dolly.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Eyewitness footage recorded from the village of Verzeille captured a tornado forming and swirling beneath a violent supercell thunderstorm south of the southern French city of Carcassonne on August 24, 2026.

— CBS News, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of swirling

Verb

Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth until warmed through, or microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring after each, until warmed through.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
In a candid Instagram video published Saturday, the Bay Area librarian and social media star updated his social media supporters about his condition, days after stirring concern online and announcing his plans to seek treatment at a hospital.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stirring

Verb

Mix yeast, 2 cups flour and salt in large mixing bowl and pour in hot water (not boiling), mixing well.

— Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Getting that apparently trivial behavior working involved Home Assistant, MQTT, custom software, and more Claude, Codex and ChatGPT tokens than one should reasonably associate with boiling pasta.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of boiling

Verb

Conventional gas centrifuges use spinning mechanical rotors to push heavier atoms outward.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
And get ready for a scene that will hopefully not leave your head spinning the same way that the Earth spins on its axis.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of spinning

Verb

Villains dating hot blondes has the traditional golf journalists seething while SeanJo, myself and Nightcaps legend Zach Dean sit back and just smile.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Ser Criston Cole, more than perhaps any other character in this story, is seething with resentment.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026