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

The answer comes when the four of them and the boy go to Sang-woo’s posh summer house for the weekend, and everything finally boils over. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2026

Fill the pot with water, covering the can by 4 to 6 inches, and bring the water just to a boil over high heat. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

The endorsement came after days of hostility between El-Sayed and Stevens, who were expected to appear together on Sunday before tensions boiled over. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Bring to a boil over medium heat (no need to stir); cook until sugar is dissolved, 4–7 minutes total. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 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