boil 1 of 2

noun

Definition of boilnext
as in blister
a small, inflamed swelling of the skin the dermatologist lanced the infected boil that had formed on the patient's neck

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boil

2 of 2

verb

ˈbȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce boil (audio)
1
as in to steam
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger the passengers were boiling when they found out the flight was delayed yet again

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2
as in to stew
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

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

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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 boil
Noun
Home drinkers with time will follow Sharma’s boil-spices-then-tea-then-milk method for weekend chai. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 Since its recent lows, CrowdStrike shares have more than doubled to all-time highs earlier this month before coming off the boil. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
On my return trek, the sky began to boil with thunderheads and, moments later, a deluge. — Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 The agitation of the team’s fanbase boiled to the surface this summer. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boil
  1. blister
  2. steam
  3. stew
  4. churn
  5. pustule
  6. burn
  7. simmer
  8. swirl
Noun
  • After eventually being transferred to a nearby hospital, the resident was diagnosed with sepsis and toxic epidermal necrolysis, a rare and life-threatening skin condition which causes a person’s skin to blister.
    — Matan Josephy, Idaho Statesman, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Cabrera, the veteran starter acquired from the Miami Marlins, is scheduled for a rehab outing at Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday after a blister forced him to the IL.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of blister
Verb
  • Ground meat almost immediately releases its own juices into a warm skillet, causing the meat to steam instead of sear.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Their crabs are steamed, frozen and packed into boxes to be shipped to Sri Lanka, where workers remove the meat by hand.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of steam
Verb
  • The easygoing Mexican brunch, lunch and dinner spot became a Wesley Heights favorite for its authentic tacos, frozen drinks and stewed pork shoulder pozole rojo served with hominy, shredded cabbage, onions and cilantro over fresh tostadas.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of stew
Verb
  • Somehow, beneath the surface of some cheerful Schubert song, anxiety and sadness seem to be churning.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In contrast, back-to-back storms have churned across the eastern Pacific since July, with 14 named storms and five hurricanes so far in the eastern Pacific hurricane season.
    — Dan Peck, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of churn
Noun
  • The infected children reported a range of skin and soft tissue symptoms, including spots, pustules, blisters, and abscesses.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • This causes small but often painful red pustules that cluster at the places where the hairstyle is pulling the tightest.
    — Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of pustule
Verb
  • Jackson’s availability was curbed by red cards at Chelsea — in Bruges, a barge and shirt pull with defender Han-Beom Lee suggested those flickers of fury and confrontation still burn.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • On a cold night in November 2011, in a field outside Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, a gang of thugs stormed a Soviet scientific research institute, beat and humiliated the staff and burned the place to the ground.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • Cooking techniques Common cooking techniques include simmering ingredients in wine or broth, braising meats and vegetables, and sautéing or frying foods in butter or olive oil.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The violence that has been simmering with the Ploughman now erupts into a revolution joined by thousands and thousands of peasants.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of simmer
Verb
  • Using huge infrared telescopes that can see through that veil of dust, astronomers have been able to watch some of these stars swirling around the black hole.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bethany Donaphin Head of WNBA league operations As rumors swirled about Engelbert’s enture, insiders around the league have been mentioning Donaphin as a potential replacement.
    — Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirl

Phrases Containing boil

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bohos
boil
boil down
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Cite this Entry

“Boil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boil. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boil

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