as in summarized
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 boiled down
The issue boiled down to conflicting stories about whether a yellow or orange shirt had been pre-approved by both sides.
—
Emily Olsen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
This is who Mikaela Shiffrin was, her entirety boiled down to a few minutes on a ski slope.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an amalgam of Hollywood archetypes, the essence of a big-screen hero boiled down and maybe left on the stove too long.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Fleming was one of at least nine BPD employees who filed complaints, which boiled down to concerns that Lee engaged in unethical behavior, repeatedly retaliated against subordinates, and behaved unprofessionally while creating a hostile work environment.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
As sugar is processed, the juice from sugarcane or sugar beets is boiled down, and molasses is what's left behind.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
The ambiguity and abstraction notwithstanding, some believe the concept of AGI can really be boiled down into something straightforward.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Schumacher's main interests boiled down to two broad categories, biographies and Great Lakes history — which his daughter described as two separate writing careers, per ABC and AP.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The fight for psychic children and access to the Upside Down and Dimension X can be boiled down to an arms race, of sorts.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
Emily Olsen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
This is who Mikaela Shiffrin was, her entirety boiled down to a few minutes on a ski slope.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an amalgam of Hollywood archetypes, the essence of a big-screen hero boiled down and maybe left on the stove too long.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Fleming was one of at least nine BPD employees who filed complaints, which boiled down to concerns that Lee engaged in unethical behavior, repeatedly retaliated against subordinates, and behaved unprofessionally while creating a hostile work environment.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
As sugar is processed, the juice from sugarcane or sugar beets is boiled down, and molasses is what's left behind.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
The ambiguity and abstraction notwithstanding, some believe the concept of AGI can really be boiled down into something straightforward.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Schumacher's main interests boiled down to two broad categories, biographies and Great Lakes history — which his daughter described as two separate writing careers, per ABC and AP.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The fight for psychic children and access to the Upside Down and Dimension X can be boiled down to an arms race, of sorts.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiled down
Verb
-
In an interview with a local reporter, Emerald once summarized the philosophy behind the blockade with perfect succinctness.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Here’s the five-day forecast for Broward and Palm Beach counties, summarized by AI based on information from the National Weather Service.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In his Sunday column, Jim outlined how investors are trying to navigate this period of uncertainty, and appropriately, our cash position is unusually high, providing us with a buffer in this decline.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
This decision is outlined in the country’s constitution.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boiled down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiled%20down. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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