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Synonyms of 'roll'

roll

Explore 'roll' in the dictionary
1 (verb) 
Definition
to move along by turning over and over
The car went off the road and rolled over into a ditch.
Synonyms
turn
As the wheel turned, the potter shaped the clay.
wheel
I wheeled around to face her.
spin
The Earth spins on its own axis.
reel
The room reeled and I jammed my head down.
go round
revolve
The entire circle revolved slowly.
rotate
The earth rotates round the sun.
whirl
Hearing a sound behind her, she whirled round.
swivel
He swivelled round to face Sarah.
pivot
The boat pivoted on its central axis.
twirl
Several hundred people twirl around the dance floor.
gyrate
The aeroplane was gyrating about in the sky in a most alarming fashion.
2 (verb) 
Definition
to move along on wheels or rollers
The lorry slowly rolled forward.
Synonyms
trundle
go
It took us an hour to go three miles.
move
She waited for him to get up, but he didn't move.
pass
I passed through the doorway to ward B.
travel
You can travel to Helsinki tomorrow.
cruise
3 (verb) 
Definition
to move along in an undulating movement
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Synonyms
flow
A stream flowed down into the valley.
run
cisterns to catch rainwater as it ran off the walls
course
The tears coursed down his cheeks.
pour
Blood was pouring from his broken nose.
slide
She slipped and slid downhill on her backside.
stream
Tears streamed down their faces.
trickle
A tear trickled down his cheek.
glide
The royal ships glided past fjords and dramatic waterfalls.
purl
4 (verb) 
He took off his sweater and rolled it into a pillow.
Synonyms
wind
She wound the sash round her waist.
bind
Her mother bound the wound with a rag soaked in iodine.
wrap
She wrapped a handkerchief round her bleeding hand.
twist
She twisted her hair into a bun.
curl
She curled her fingers round his wrist.
coil
A python had coiled itself around the branch of the tree.
swathe
She swathed herself in thin black fabrics.
envelop
the thick black cloud of smoke that enveloped the area
entwine
I reached over and entwined our fingers.
furl
enfold
Wood was comfortably enfolded in a woolly dressing-gown.
5 (verb) 
Definition
to spread out flat or smooth with a roller or rolling pin
Rub in and roll out the pastry.
Synonyms
level
I'd been levelling off the ground before putting up the shed.
even
press
He would shine his father's shoes and press his shirts.
spread
Spread the cream over the skin and allow it to remain for 12 hours.
smooth
She stood up and smoothed down her frock.
flatten
How do you put enough pressure on to the metal to flatten it?
6 (verb) 
Definition
(of a ship or aircraft) to turn from side to side around the longitudinal axis
The ship was still rolling in the troughs.
Synonyms
toss
The small boat tossed about in the high seas like a cork.
rock
His body rocked from side to side.
lurch
reel
tumble
The dog had tumbled down the cliff.
sway
The people swayed back and forth with arms linked.
wallow
Hippos love to wallow in mud.
billow
the billowing sails
swing
The sail of the little boat swung from one side to the other.
welter
7 (verb) 
Definition
to make a continuous deep reverberating sound
guns firing, drums rolling, cymbals clashing
Synonyms
rumble
Thunder rumbled over the Downs.
boom
Thunder boomed like battlefield cannons over Crooked Mountain.
echo
The rumble of thunder echoed through the valley.
drum
Rain drummed on the roof of the car.
roar
the roaring waters of Niagara Falls
thunder
the sound of fireworks thundering up above
grumble
My stomach grumbled loudly.
resound
The soldiers' boots resounded in the street.
reverberate
A woman's laughter reverberated in the courtyard.
8 (verb) 
Definition
to walk in a swaying manner
They rolled about in hysterics.
Synonyms
sway
pitch
The ship was pitching and rolling as if in mid-ocean.
reel
He lost his balance and reeled back.
stagger
a government that staggered from crisis to crisis
lurch
The men struggled to their feet and lurched out on to the veranda.
lumber
He turned and lumbered back to his chair.
waddle
a fat woman waddling down the street
swagger
totter
His legs were in pain and he had to totter home.
9 (verb) 
Definition
to pass or elapse
The years roll by and look at us now.
Synonyms
pass
As the years passed, they grew discontented.
slip by
wear on
As the days wore on Brad became increasingly depressed.
go past
elapse
Forty-eight hours have elapsed since his arrest.
1 (noun) 
a roll of blue insulated wire
Synonyms
reel
ball
bobbin
cylinder
2 (noun) 
Definition
anything rolled up into a tube
a dozen rolls of film
Synonyms
spool
reel
scroll
Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea.
3 (noun) 
Definition
a small cake of bread for one person
butter and marmalade on a roll
Synonyms
bun
bagel
bread roll
bap (British)
hoagie (US)
bridge roll (British)
4 (noun) 
Definition
a continuous deep reverberating sound
They heard the roll of drums.
Synonyms
rumble
boom
The stillness of the night was broken by the boom of a cannon.
drumming
roar
the roar of traffic
thunder
the thunder of the sea on the rocks
grumble
One could hear, far to the east, a grumble of thunder.
resonance
growl
reverberation
He heard the reverberation of the slammed door.
5 (noun) 
Definition
an official list or register of names
A new electoral roll should be drawn up.
Synonyms
register
registers of births, deaths and marriages
record
Keep a record of all the payments.
list
There were six names on the list.
table
Consult the table on page 104.
schedule
a detailed written schedule
index
There's even a special subject index.
catalogue
One of the authors of the catalogue is the Professor of Art History.
directory
a telephone directory
inventory
He made an inventory of everything that was to stay.
census
chronicle
this vast chronicle of Napoleonic times
scroll
roster
He put himself on the roster for domestic chores.
annals
6 (noun) 
Definition
a swaying or unsteady movement or gait
despite the roll of the boat
Synonyms
tossing
rocking
rolling
pitching
swell
lurching
wallowing
7 (noun) 
Definition
a complete rotation about its longitudinal axis by an aircraft
Control the roll of the ball.
Synonyms
turn
The rear sprocket will turn only twice for one turn of the pedals.
run
spin
a spin of the roulette wheel
rotation
the daily rotation of the earth upon its axis
cycle
the business cycle of recession and rebound
wheel
revolution
The gear drives a wheel 1/10th revolution per cycle.
reel
whirl
the whirl of snowflakes in the wind
twirl
with a twirl of his silver-handled cane
undulation
gyration
He continued his enthusiastic gyrations on stage.
8 (noun) 
Synonyms
waves
billowing
undulation

Phrasal verbs

See roll in
See roll up
Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Additional synonyms

in the sense of billow
Definition
to rise up or swell out
the billowing sails
Synonyms
surge,
roll,
expand,
swell,
balloon,
belly,
bulge,
dilate,
puff up,
bloat
in the sense of bind
Definition
to bandage
Her mother bound the wound with a rag soaked in iodine.
Synonyms
bandage,
cover,
dress,
wrap,
swathe,
encase
in the sense of boom
Definition
to make a loud deep echoing sound
Thunder boomed like battlefield cannons over Crooked Mountain.
Synonyms
bang,
roll,
crash,
blast,
echo,
drum,
explode,
roar,
thunder,
rumble,
resound,
reverberate,
peal

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roll

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Browse alphabetically
roll

  • roguish
  • roister
  • role
  • roll
  • roll in
  • roll up
  • rollick

  • All ENGLISH synonyms that begin with 'R'

Related terms of
roll

  • roll in
  • roll up

Source

Thesaurus for roll from the Collins English Thesaurus
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bail or bale?

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bale
bail
There was only one   of hay left.

driven or drove?

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We have driven past the place numerous times. We have drove past the place numerous times.

grate or great?

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Grate
Great
  250g of cheddar and add to the sauce.

boy or buoy?

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buoy
boy
We moored the boat to an orange  .

dew or due?

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due
dew
The results are   at the end of the month.
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Sep 01, 2021
Word of the day
calypso
A calypso is a song about a current subject , sung in a style which originally comes from the West Indies .
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cut the dividends or reap dividends?

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divorce battle or leadership battle?

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One couple spent £2 million on lawyers' fees in a divorce battle. One couple spent £2 million on lawyers' fees in a leadership battle.

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Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more. October 30, 2020 Read more
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