Definition

(transitive verb)

1a. to make turbid by stirring up the sediment or dregs of
b. to stir up DISTURBDISORDER
2. RILE sense 1

(intransitive verb)

to move turbulently be in a state of turbulence or agitation
 In Context
Peter Baker and “Trump Fans Strife as Unrest Roils the U.S.” The New York Times Aug. 31, 2020
“The debate over what was said to the commission — and why — comes as protests over the police shooting of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., continue to roil communities across the country.— Washington Post, “Md. officials wanted Black leaders not to use the term ‘police brutality.’ They resisted.,” 12 Sep. 2020