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 of boiling point

• crisis
• crossroad(s)
• breaking point
• head
• flash point

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

Raising the boiling point of the electrolytes could open the door to true all-climate applications, making the technology viable across a wider range of environments. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 29 Mar. 2026

Meanwhile, the challenge-less Red Sox could do nothing about several overturn-able pitches, and by the top of the eighth the situation reached a boiling point. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026

Inside these trains, natural gas is purified and cooled to about –260 degrees Fahrenheit (–162 degrees Celsius), below the boiling point of methane. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2026

For many in the sport, frustrations are at an all-time boiling point. —Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for boiling point

• counterpoint
• disappoint
• multipoint
• needlepoint
• reappoint
• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint

Kids Definition

boiling point

noun

1

: 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