boil over

verb

boiled over; boiling over; boils over

intransitive verb

1
: to overflow while boiling
2
: to become so incensed as to lose one's temper
boilover noun

Examples of boil over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Those tensions boiled over with last year’s labor disputes, resulting in lengthy strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2024 Regardless, one day, Libert’s exasperation boiled over. Brian Merchant, WIRED, 24 July 2024 There is a rather serious energy bubbling up under your roof as the Moon conjoins Saturn, like a pot that’s been left to boil over on the stove. Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024 Meanwhile, resentments at the lab are boiling over. Byadrian Cho, science.org, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for boil over 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boil over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boil over was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near boil over

Cite this Entry

“Boil over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20over. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

boil over

verb
1
: to overflow while boiling
2
: to become so angry as to lose one's temper

More from Merriam-Webster on boil over

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!