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

What all this boils down to are trucks that are very un-truck-like. —David Szondy june 03, New Atlas, 3 June 2026

To potential car buyers, that boils down to off-road. —Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

The agreement boils down to a branding deal. —Matt Moret, New York Times, 28 May 2026

When to Call a Professional The decision to contact a pest control provider boils down to personal pest tolerance. —Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 27 May 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