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boiling point
noun
1
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
2
a
: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
b
: the point of crisis : head sense 17b
matters had reached the boiling point
Synonyms
Examples of boiling point in a Sentence
The boiling point of water is 212° Fahrenheit or 100° Celsius.
when the situation reached the boiling point, the President had no choice but to order out the National Guard
Recent Examples on the Web
Public anger over the failure to achieve a hostage deal reached a boiling point on March 30 in the biggest protests the country has seen since the start of its war with Hamas six months ago.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Arcis’ efforts to treat the lake come only after residents had reached a boiling point, noted Helena Johnson Bodine, the HOA president for Arrowhead Ranch Phase Two.
—Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024
In 2024, tensions in space are poised to reach boiling point as the sector continues to expand.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
The situation finally reached the boiling point when Mike received extremely negative feedback from several other senior managers about the quality of Steve’s work.
—Eric Friedman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Scald: To heat a liquid, usually milk, to just below the boiling point.
—Andrea Weigl, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
The tensions between the House’s ultraconservatives and the rest of the conference reached a boiling point last year after just eight GOP officials voted with Democrats to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from his post.
—Ken Tran, The Courier-Journal, 18 Jan. 2024
As the world approaches a boiling point and U.S. interests become increasingly threatened in the Middle East, Europe, and the Asia Pacific, demonstrating unwavering commitment to our allies should be a no-brainer.
—TIME, 13 Feb. 2024
According to the company, high-efficiency insulation on the tanks keep the hydrogen below its ultra-low boiling point without active cooling.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boiling point.' 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
1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near boiling point
Cite this Entry
“Boiling point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boiling%20point. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
boiling point
noun1
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
2
: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
3
: the point of crisis
Medical Definition
boiling point
noun
boil·ing point
ˈbȯi-liŋ-ˌpȯint
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
More from Merriam-Webster on boiling point
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boiling point
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