boiling 1 of 2

boiling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of boil
1
2
as in stewing
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam boil the potatoes until they are tender before you try to mash them

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in swirling
to be in a state of violent rolling motion the sea boiled and frothed during the storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boiling
Adjective
Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life. Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025 One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2020 If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean. Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2019 The simplest fix could be as easy as boiling water—boil a medium-size pot once or twice per week, and pour down the drain. Country Living Staff, Country Living, 14 Oct. 2019 Although boiling water is always a set temperature, eggs coming from the fridge or countertop are not. Genevieve Ko, latimes.com, 18 June 2019 Organizers shared tips to help prevent the virus, which include washing hands with soap for more than 30 seconds, eating food that is thoroughly cooked and boiling water before drinking. Rachel Axon, USA TODAY Sports, 6 Feb. 2018 More boiling water: Boil water advisories typically happen due to a water main break and/or a loss of pressure in the water system. Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2017 The station is home to two boiling water reactors, capable of powering more than 2.25 million homes and businesses. Staff Report, The Aegis, 6 June 2017
Verb
Gently add the eggs to the rapidly boiling water. Cody Godwin, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 The Watt steam engine once turned boiling water heat into motion. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025 French confectioner Nicolas Appert spent years on the challenge, eventually creating the world’s first food bottling factory by sealing food in glass jars with cork and wax, then boiling them. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 28 Aug. 2025 They can be used for roasting chicken, boiling pasta, making pasta sauce and the list could go on and on. Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Simmer pots, made by gently boiling apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and citrus peels are a natural and customizable way to fill your home with cozy autumn aromas. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025 Unless that critical threshold is reached, the meltwater below the ice just keeps boiling in direct contact with the surface. Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025 Dominating a narrow workflow beats boiling the ocean. Ashis Ghosh, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 People are boiling weeds and animal feed to stay alive. Hamada Shaqoura, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiling
Adjective
  • There’s a significant battery life tax to pay for the microLED model’s searing brightness, too.
    Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • But the gifted Argentinian auteur has never tackled the issue as directly as in Landmarks (Nuestra Tierra), a searing and detailed chronicle of murder, bigotry and robbery on a massive scale that also marks the director’s first feature-length documentary.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • At the other end, the Premier League is steaming beyond its peers; a super league in all but name.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • His observant approach to capturing the sights and sounds of New York’s Chinatown and Lower East Side — the streets packed with extras, the kitchens where Aishe works steaming and bustling — displays what can only be a documentarian’s attention to local detail and color.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The habit of staying up at night and replaying all the embarrassing moments of your life while stewing in self-blame isn’t just a personality quirk.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Komljen creates an ostensible utopia for those ostracised from urban spaces, with days now spent stewing apricots, weaving baskets, kissing rocks, and conversing with mushrooms.
    Sonya Vseliubska, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Trump not only addressed the rumors swirling about his death and health in the speech to his top allies, but also the controversial changes to the historic rose garden.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Thaksin’s hospital case Speculation is now swirling in Thailand that Thaksin may not return.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?
    Victoria Edel, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • That people might be falling for the Minneapolis shooter’s scribblings and raging at each other over potential motivations is likely thrilling to potential copycat killers—proof that the troll still works.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains.
    AZCentral.com, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The vast majority of those applications came from nationals of Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, countries beset by long-simmering conflict.
    Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
  • According to the synopsis, their odyssey takes them from the quiet Masai villages of Kenya to the dangerous, simmering streets of Casablanca in Morocco.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He was wrapped up at the 5 and kept churning his legs and dove into the end zone.
    Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025
  • As long as that powerful engine is running, hurricanes will be churning.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Boiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on boiling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!