as in summarizing
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 boiling down
Drinks In the drinks department, blueberries are excellent for freezing into ice cubes, infusing into water or tea, or boiling down into a simple syrup, says Hall.
—
Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Paul fears art imitating life by also boiling down to breadline survival strategies.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Paul fears art imitating life by also boiling down to breadline survival strategies.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiling down
Verb
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Still unanswered, too, is why the allegations were included in a Justice Department slide presentation last year summarizing the cases against Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
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Goldberg said, summarizing why her name appears alongside Behar's in the documents.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps summing up her Survivor experience to a T, Wendy Jo got lost walking out of Tribal Council after having her torch snuffed.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
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Well, summing up Tyreek’s time with the Dolphins, similar to as summing up Tyreek, is complicated.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The department also has launched a new web page outlining immigrants’ rights during encounters with law enforcement.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
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The Lake County Convention Center is another step closer to being built after the Gary Common Council unanimously approved an ordinance outlining the city’s involvement in the project’s financing.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boiling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiling%20down. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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