boil over
verb
boiled over; boiling over; boils over
1
: to overflow while boiling
2
a
: to become violent or lose control because of anger
so frustrated he's ready to boil over
b
: to develop into something more violent
Their disagreement finally boiled over into a fight.
Examples of boil over in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Advertisement Xi’s invocation of Thucydides’ Trap comes at a time when tensions between the rival superpowers could boil over on any of a number of issues, from trade to AI to Taiwan.
—
Chad De Guzman, Time, 15 May 2026
Instead of frustration boiling over, Luzardo ended the inning with a Jarren Duran popout.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Bring just to a boil over medium, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolve.
—Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
Last night, during Game 4, Wembanyama’s frustration boiled over.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for boil over
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Chad De Guzman, Time, 15 May 2026
Instead of frustration boiling over, Luzardo ended the inning with a Jarren Duran popout.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Bring just to a boil over medium, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolve.
—Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
Last night, during Game 4, Wembanyama’s frustration boiled over.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for boil over
Cite this Entry
“Boil over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20over. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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