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
Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
—
Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
The tension between Tammy and Amy has been boiling over since last season ended with a big fight between the duo.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
The angst has boiled over into a serious of corporate clashes, from Fubo’s protest of Venu Sports to Disney and YouTube TV’s prolonged 2025 carriage battle to the ongoing Sling-Disney dispute.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026
His dislike and distrust of Nicole boiled over.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boil over
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
The tension between Tammy and Amy has been boiling over since last season ended with a big fight between the duo.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
The angst has boiled over into a serious of corporate clashes, from Fubo’s protest of Venu Sports to Disney and YouTube TV’s prolonged 2025 carriage battle to the ongoing Sling-Disney dispute.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 Jan. 2026
His dislike and distrust of Nicole boiled over.
—CBS News, 11 Jan. 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 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
