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

The deduction phases out at a rate that boils down to $100 for each $1,000 over the threshold. —Susan Tompor, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026

For its adherents, the sport always boils down to calculations of risk. —Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026

This is who Mikaela Shiffrin was, her entirety boiled down to a few minutes on a ski slope. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026

Cheesy comparisons aside, the reason chefs are responsible for their own knives boils down to subjective preferences and comfort. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Feb. 2026

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