boil down

verb

boiled down; boiling down; boils down

transitive verb

1

: to reduce in bulk by boiling

2

: condense, summarize

boil down a report

intransitive verb

1

: to undergo reduction in bulk by boiling

2

a

: to be equivalent in summary : amount

his speech boiled down to a plea for more money

b

: to reduce ultimately

your choices boil down to three

Synonyms of boil down

• summarize
• outline

Examples of boil down in a Sentence

the discussion of the problem can be boiled down to a couple of critical points

Recent Examples on the Web

Finck acknowledges the learning curve of designing music for a game often boiled down to understanding its intent and implementation necessitated by the medium’s interactive elements. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2025

The biggest benefit of jumping boils down to bone health. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 3 Dec. 2025

Sometimes that boils down to cleaning and tidying up a convenience shop. —Ted Koppel, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025

Agave is considered a refined sweetener due to its extensive processing, but pure maple syrup is a more natural option because it’s boiled down from sap without heavy refinement. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for boil down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

boil down

verb

: to reduce or become reduced by or as if by boiling

let the sauce boil down

boil down a report