boil down

verb

boiled down; boiling down; boils down

transitive verb

1
: to reduce in bulk by boiling
2
: condense, summarize
boil down a report

intransitive verb

1
: to undergo reduction in bulk by boiling
2
a
: to be equivalent in summary : amount
his speech boiled down to a plea for more money
b
: to reduce ultimately
your choices boil down to three

Examples of boil down in a Sentence

the discussion of the problem can be boiled down to a couple of critical points
Recent Examples on the Web Meghan Smith, the preventive search and rescue coordinator at the park, cautions that the canyon’s story shouldn’t be boiled down to all doom and gloom. Alana Wise, NPR, 13 Sep. 2024 That boils down to effort, toughness, enthusiasm, making smart plays and being able to finish. Ashley Mahoney, Axios, 6 Sep. 2024 Many of the campus rifts boil down to a question of just how personal the political is, students say. Rachel Janfaza, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2024 Much of his message essentially boils down to this: Some people are better than others, there is a natural order, and Black people are definitely at or near the bottom of it. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for boil down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boil down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boil down was in 1723

Dictionary Entries Near boil down

Cite this Entry

“Boil down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20down. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

boil down

verb
: to reduce or become reduced by or as if by boiling
let the sauce boil down
boil down a report
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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