boil down
verb
boiled down; boiling down; boils down
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
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 issue boils down to Pulisic himself — and the importance of maintaining the health of a star who is not exactly new to fitness worries.
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Understanding why that is essentially boils down to what exactly is happening near that central supermassive black hole.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025
The debate often boils down to whether a person should be allowed to terminate their pregnancy.
—Seda Saluk, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
A lot of it boils down to the game’s new aesthetic.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boil down
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Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Understanding why that is essentially boils down to what exactly is happening near that central supermassive black hole.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025
The debate often boils down to whether a person should be allowed to terminate their pregnancy.
—Seda Saluk, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
A lot of it boils down to the game’s new aesthetic.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boil down
Cite this Entry
“Boil down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20down. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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