as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
the discussion of the problem can be boiled down to a couple of critical points
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Recent Examples of boil down
The neon skyline of the city is somewhat pretty, but most levels — from underground clubs to ethereal dimensions — mostly boil down to a series of tight corridors, routinely recycling their layouts.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
The issue boils down to Pulisic himself — and the importance of maintaining the health of a star who is not exactly new to fitness worries.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The debate often boils down to whether a person should be allowed to terminate their pregnancy.
—Seda Saluk, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
In Phoenix, this boils down to water.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boil down
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
The issue boils down to Pulisic himself — and the importance of maintaining the health of a star who is not exactly new to fitness worries.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The debate often boils down to whether a person should be allowed to terminate their pregnancy.
—Seda Saluk, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
In Phoenix, this boils down to water.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boil down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boil down
Verb
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The resulting feature was published on March 14, 2022, publicly summarizing the case for the first time in years and providing Army CID contact information.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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During a July City Commission meeting, Commissioner Richard Lara, who received at least one of the surveys but did not respond to it, summarized the allegations detailed in the blog posts.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In July, Wedbush analyst Ives outlined a three-point plan for Tesla’s board to rein in Musk, proposing the board limit the amount of time Musk spends in the political world, as well as set up an oversight committee for the CEO’s political ambitions.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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Earlier this year, Crystal released its 2024 sustainability report, which outlined gains toward reaching its longer term environmental goals.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boil down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boil%20down. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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