boil over

verb

boiled over; boiling over; boils over

intransitive verb

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.

boilover

ˈbȯi(-ə)l-ˌō-vər 

noun

Examples of boil over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plus, White House correspondent Monica Alba texts with me about why frustrations with the war are boiling over. — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 30 July 2026

The announcement came after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that boiled over Thursday with large crowds of people breaching the border fence. — ABC News, 30 July 2026

Ever since the Spaniard announced that a wrist injury would sideline him through the end of the clay-court season, and then through Wimbledon, the sport’s ever-simmering terror around them has threatened to boil over. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 July 2026

This can happen when your burner is set too high, oil splatters and polymerizes (binds to) the exterior, or food boils over and bakes onto the enamel surface. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for boil over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover

Kids Definition

boil over

verb

1

: to overflow while boiling

2

: to become so angry as to lose one's temper