boil down
verb
boiled down; boiling down; boils down
1
: to undergo reduction in bulk by boiling
2
a
: to be equivalent in summary : amount
his speech boiled down to a plea for more money
b
: to reduce ultimately
your choices boil down to three
Synonyms
Examples of boil down in a Sentence
the discussion of the problem can be boiled down to a couple of critical points
Recent Examples on the Web
For the United States, this boils down to two fundamental problems.
—
David Szondy, New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025
Everyone’s scenario, even when based in serious science, boils down to a guessing game.
—Gordon Feller, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2025
Almost all of it boils down to actively listening and responding to what the person is saying.
—Gillian McAllister, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025
The broth is the star of the show here, made from boiling down beef and chicken bones for a full 24 hours.
—Caitlin Morton, AFAR Media, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for boil down 
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David Szondy, New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025
Everyone’s scenario, even when based in serious science, boils down to a guessing game.
—Gordon Feller, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2025
Almost all of it boils down to actively listening and responding to what the person is saying.
—Gillian McAllister, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025
The broth is the star of the show here, made from boiling down beef and chicken bones for a full 24 hours.
—Caitlin Morton, AFAR Media, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for boil down
Dictionary Entries Near boil down
Cite this Entry
“Boil down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20down. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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