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to roll

to roll

387 1.3
To shape something into a long round form by turning it
  • verb
  • /roʊl/
translation icon : enrollar
  • Last, you roll the entirety of the mixture into a ball and either refrigerate or dig right in.
  • roll into a cylinder
  • roll a cigarette
  • roll steel into sheets

Very small, like easy to roll little tank tops.

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Examples

  • So you always roll it to release the seeds?

  • So take bite size, take a piece, OK, and roll it into a ball.

  • And then you can roll it into a nice perfect ball.

  • OK, these ones, you can roll up lots of those.

  • ...or should I just roll it up and eat it?

  • So I'm just going to roll it like this.

  • Stick your finger in there, push, push, and then roll it towards you while pushing down.

  • The backpack, wow, that rolls up so compact.

  • To make sushi, you need to roll the rice and fish in a sheet of seaweed.

  • After preparing the dough, you should roll it out into a thin sheet.

Synonyms

to wrap
vsto roll
729 1.0

To cover something by putting material around it

is about shaping objects into cylindrical, spiral, or circular forms rather than covering
to twist
vsto roll
231 1.7

To turn something so it becomes a curved or spiral shape

focuses on making cylinders, spirals, or circular forms rather than only curved motion
to wind
vsto roll
225 3.2

To wrap something around another thing in a coil

is more general, applying to many shaping methods not only coiling
to curl
vsto roll
173 1.1

To form into a curved or spiral shape

is broader, including cylinders and circular shapes beyond simple curves
to round
vsto roll
76 2.1

Make something have a curved shape

includes circular shapes but also cylinders and spirals as options
to roll up
vsto roll
25 3.4

Fold or turn something so it becomes a tight round shape

is the general action of shaping into cylindrical, spiral, or circular forms
to ball
vsto roll
18 6.0

To form something into a round shape by rolling or winding

is broader, also including cylinders and spiral forms not only spheres
to wrap up
vsto roll
7 3.4

Roll something into a tube by turning it around

is broader, covering any cylindrical, spiral, or circular shaping
to clew
vsto roll
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To roll rope or yarn into a neat ball

is general shaping into cylindrical, spiral, or circular forms beyond coils

Antonyms

23 2.6

Make something flat and smooth by pressing it

12 2.0

To spread out something like a carpet or map that was wrapped up

Idioms

on a roll
  • Informal
42 5.6

A period of continued success and good luck

ready to roll
  • Informal
29 4.3

Prepared to begin an activity such as a game or meeting

19 3.8

To get ready to do hard work

To give someone a very special welcome, like an important guest

4 3.6

To be easy and pleasant to say

to heads will roll
  • Offensive
2 8.2

Warn that people will be punished or lose their jobs

1 9.2

A short, casual time when two people have sex

Make someone feel very welcome by giving special care

9.1

To throw five dice that show the same number in Yahtzee

Feel so amused that you fall over and move on the floor

6.9

Make someone feel young again when they remember the past

To have sex briefly in a casual way

3.7

To move your eyes away from someone to show you are annoyed or do not believe them

Phrasal Verbs

48 3.3

To come in steadily or in large numbers

43 3.9

To introduce a new product or service to the public

30 1.4

To turn your body or an object so the other side faces up

25 3.4

Fold or turn something so it becomes a tight round shape

to roll up
  • Informal
24 6.0

Arrive in a vehicle in a way that people notice

22 3.7

Collect small amounts until they become a larger total

to roll around
  • Informal
13 3.2

To come again at the usual time, for example each year

10 3.7

Move a car window up to close it

to roll over
  • Specialized
9 5.3

To move money from one investment into another when the first ends

8 3.4

To make something flat by unrolling it or using a roller

to roll tape
  • Archaic
1 5.6

To start recording video or sound

1 5.8

To say facts or numbers quickly and easily

1 3.4

To read a list of names aloud to check who is present

9.9

Make a small cigarette from marijuana by wrapping it in thin paper

Compounds

552 3.0

A style of popular music from the 1950s with a strong beat

107 1.8

A type of popular music from the 1950s with a strong beat and electric guitars

27 3.2

People call out a list of names to check who is present in a meeting, classroom or group

18 1.4

A Chinese fried food made by wrapping meat and vegetables in thin dough

10 2.5

A small fried snack filled with vegetables and sometimes meat, often served as an appetizer

8 3.1

A quick, continuous beat on a drum that builds suspense before an important moment

A sweet baked roll of dough filled with cinnamon and sugar

Popular music from 1950s America with a strong beat and simple tunes

4 1.1

A small sweet bread made with yeast, often with cinnamon, nuts, or glaze

barrel roll
  • Specialized
2 7.8

A flying stunt where a plane makes one full turn while rolling as it moves forward

A sushi roll that has avocado, crab or imitation crab, and cucumber with rice on the outside

2 3.0

A rich, flaky bread roll shaped like a curved moon

2 1.0

A roll of soft paper for cleaning your bottom after using the toilet

1 1.2

A baked snack of sausage meat wrapped in pastry

1 2.1

A small round bread baked to have a hard, crisp crust

1 3.5

A thin sponge cake spread with jam and rolled into a spiral

roll film
  • Archaic
1 3.9

A strip of material for taking photos that is wound on a spool

A soft, buttery dinner roll folded in half before baking

finger-roll
  • Jargon
1 7.2

A basketball shot made near the basket by rolling the ball off the fingertips

jelly roll
  • Jargon
1 4.2

A roll of cut cotton strips used for quilting

1 3.9

A round crusty bread roll with a crisp top often sprinkled with poppy seeds

A person who plays, sings, or writes rock and roll music

roll bar
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A strong metal bar inside a vehicle that protects people if it flips over

roll-up
  • Jargon
1 6.0

A plan to buy several small companies and join them into a larger one

1 4.0

An object made into a tight tube, like a poster or snack

1 2.7

A soft bread roll with pieces of onion inside or on top

snap roll
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A very quick, complete rotation of a plane around its nose-to-tail line while flying straight

1 1.3

A small round bread made with yeast that has a soft crust and soft inside

8.1

A very kind, innocent person who seems unlikely to hurt others

A list of people who belong to a church

A sweet yeast roll often made with spices, raisins or nuts and served with coffee

A small soft roll made from three dough balls joined in a clover shape

A list of people killed, often during a war or disaster

4.7

A choice with an uncertain result that may be risky

anti-roll
  • Specialized
6.0

A device added to a vehicle, like a bar, to reduce side-to-side rolling

moxa roll
  • Specialized
9.9

A stick of dried mugwort leaves that you light to warm body points in traditional therapy

A round soft bread roll for holding a cooked meat patty and toppings

muster roll
  • Jargon
8.6

A list people use to check who is present in a military unit or ship crew

rent-roll
  • Specialized
9.9

A list showing tenants' names and the rent they pay

A small bundle of tobacco leaves rolled into a cylinder for smoking

roll-on roll-off
  • Specialized
4.6

A ship or ferry that vehicles drive on and off

7.2

A tight piece of underwear you pull on over the hips to shape the body

3.8

A small bottle with a round ball at the top that applies liquid to the skin like deodorant

roll-up
  • Specialized
5.0

A summary that adds together smaller numbers from different parts

A sweet baked roll shaped like a pinwheel filled with jam and cinnamon sugar

A thin sponge cake spread with jam or cream and shaped into a tube

A small round bread roll made with yeast and a crisp crust

How Tight

to wrap
729 1.0
to roll
387 1.3
to coil
7 3.8
to curl
173 1.1

Surface Forms

roll infinitive
rolled past
rolled past participle
rolling present participle
rolls third person singular

Etymology

Roll comes from the old idea of making something turn into a tube or cylinder, the same basic idea as rotate ('turn'). So when you roll dough or paint, you are shaping it by turning or moving it into a round or long form.