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
Bring a large pot of boiling water to boil, then add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2025 Nothing makes sports more watchable than a nice, healthy, blood-boiling rivalry. Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025 The packaging advised crumbling the bar up and dropping it in boiling water to soften. Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025 This setup is ready for real cooking, not just boiling water or reheating prepackaged meals. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025 Start by boiling a pot of hot water on your stove and pouring it slowly down your drain to loosen up the hair, food, or other debris. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025 Maple syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of maple trees, primarily sugar maples, by boiling the sap to concentrate the sugar. Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025 Either way, the surface of the world becomes literally boiling hot. Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 Staffers can’t simply swim into the boiling springs and pluck debris out with a net. Owen Clarke, Outside, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiling
Adjective
  • His own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh informed his Oscar-winning Marriage Story (2019), a searing look at love unraveling.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
  • And McConaughey, as a nervy reluctant hero, steers the searing, intense narrative about normal people living through the most hellish of circumstances.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Plus, the material is wrinkle-free, which will save you from steaming it in the mornings.
    Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The expansive lawn is dotted with games—cornhole, soccer, and ladder toss for the kids—and solo fire pits where families gather under starry skies to toast s’mores or enjoy a steaming mug of hot cider.
    Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While Alex is stewing over her giant pot of daddy issues, Mia and Stella have their own problem now that Alex is being removed from pre-Olympics coverage.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • The debuts of an unprecedented number of designers at brands from Dior to Chanel and Versace have been swirling around Michele and the house of Valentino is now being led by a new chief executive officer, Riccardo Bellini, who succeeded Jacopo Venturini in August.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Stretching to the pointed edge of the property is a 62-foot-long rectangular infinity pool adorned with mosaic tiles in swirling shapes that mimic the greenish glow of bioluminescence.
    Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 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
  • Amid the churn in Europe and globally, with trenchant nationalism on the rise, and a war raging in Ukraine just 1,200 miles from the palace, many might say that having a hereditary royal as their head of state offers some reassuring continuity, acting as a counterweight to political upheaval.
    Vivienne Walt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
  • There's a debate raging about whether adding a squirrel feeding station filled with corn or peanuts to your garden will satisfy the rodents and keep them away from bulbs.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • To really bring it over the top, Ina calls for simmering a small mixture of butter and flour just before plating.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Seoul, South Korea — The US Air Force is putting a permanent drone presence on the Korean Peninsula, reviving a World War II-era squadron to bolster security amid simmering military tensions in the region.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Number of the day 7 That’s how many unoccupied homes have collapsed in North Carolina’s Outer Banks amid large swells and rough surf caused by a pair of storm systems churning in the Atlantic.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The market continues to tread water, the indexes churning below record highs while a majority of stocks slip and evidence of economic-growth concerns surface in spots.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Boiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiling. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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