1 B2 neutral
To disturb and mix up a surface (mud, water, earth) through violent movement
"The tanks had churned up the field into a sea of mud."
separable
churn up
B2 neutral separable transitive
To disturb and mix up a surface or substance violently, or to provoke strong unpleasant feelings
In plain English
To mess up and mix around a surface like mud or water, or to make someone feel very upset inside
What does "churn up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To cause strong feelings of disgust, anxiety, or nausea (often 'churn up one's stomach')
"Just thinking about the accident churned up her stomach."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
A churn churns (rotates aggressively) a liquid upward — 'churn up' imagines a liquid or surface being violently mixed
Actually means
To mess up and mix around a surface like mud or water, or to make someone feel very upset inside
Usage tip
Can be used literally (of mud, water, soil, or earth being disturbed) or figuratively (of emotions being stirred up unpleasantly). The emotional sense is usually used with 'stomach' — 'it churns up my stomach'. The literal sense is common in descriptions of outdoor scenes after storms, heavy vehicles, or battles.
Words that pair with "churn up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
mud water soil stomach emotions ground
How to conjugate "churn up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
churn up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
churns up
he/she/it
Past simple
churned up
yesterday
Past participle
churned up
have + pp
-ing form
churning up
continuous
Hear "churn up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "churn up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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