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
The Manhattan neighborhood had become more affluent, and tensions over how their building should be managed and how much residents should be expected to pay for upkeep boiled over between people who had lived there for years and newer neighbors.
—
Eliza Shapiro, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Add chicken stock and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt to mixture in pot; bring to a boil over high.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
But frustration boiled over Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
In Thursday’s episode of The Pitt, the long-simmering tensions over the use of AI at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center boiled over.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boil over
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Eliza Shapiro, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Add chicken stock and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt to mixture in pot; bring to a boil over high.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
But frustration boiled over Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
In Thursday’s episode of The Pitt, the long-simmering tensions over the use of AI at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center boiled over.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 13 Feb. 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 26 Feb. 2026.
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