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

After a fruitless Minnesota power play, emotions started to boil over, as a tie-up along the boards in the Toronto end of the ice devolved into a full-on scrum, with players from both teams ending up in the penalty box. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026

Frustration boiled over on the Huskies’ sideline as Hurley stomped his foot and earned a technical foul from referee James Breeding with 12 and a half minutes left in the half. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026

Cover them with cold water, bring this to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn off the burner. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2026

Bring to a boil over medium-high. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 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