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

At the exact moment that things threaten to boil over, Austin (Charles Melton) and Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) show up at the Martíns’ doorstep. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026

In the sanitized and alienating new surrounds, with the camaraderie of the early Hyperion days but a faint memory, long-simmering discontent about working conditions wouldn’t take long to boil over. —Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026

Add wine, mustard, thyme, and the remaining 1/2 cup broth; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026

Esther says Kim told her that, at times, that need for control boiled over into violence. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 12 Apr. 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