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 widespread demonstrations sparked heavy security deployments as tensions boiled over near college campuses and civic landmarks. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Bond yield blowout Worries about a potential debt crisis in France boiled over last week, leading to a selloff in French bonds and a sharp rise in yields. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

However, a lack of specifics boiled over after Meta's second-quarter earnings miss and disappointing guidance in late July, sending the stock right back down. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Return the pot to the stovetop and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 26 Sep. 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