boil over

verb

boiled over; boiling over; boils over

intransitive verb

1

: to overflow while boiling

2

a

: to become violent or lose control because of anger

so frustrated he's ready to boil over

b

: to develop into something more violent

Their disagreement finally boiled over into a fight.

boilover

ˈbȯi(-ə)l-ˌō-vər 

noun

Examples of boil over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tension seemed to boil over for Jackson, as he was suspended for a period or two of practice after throwing a punch in a scuffle with Giants defenders. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

As the bullying escalates and tensions boil over, tongues loosen, forcing the truth out into the open. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2026

Speaking to news reporters in the aftermath of the shooting, Boisvert’s frustrations appeared to boil over. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026

Shakur’s killing came amid tensions already boiling over between Death Row and Bad Boy. — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for boil over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover

Kids Definition

boil over

verb

1

: to overflow while boiling

2

: to become so angry as to lose one's temper