boil over
verb
boiled over; boiling over; boils over
1
: to overflow while boiling
2
a
: to become violent or lose control because of anger
so frustrated he's ready to boil over
b
: to develop into something more violent
Their disagreement finally boiled over into a fight.
Examples of boil over in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But frustration boiled over Sunday.
—
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
In Thursday’s episode of The Pitt, the long-simmering tensions over the use of AI at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center boiled over.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, 9 minutes.
—Martha Stewart, 11 Feb. 2026
Outrage boiled over when those commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the federal government's immigration enforcement actions.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boil over
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Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
In Thursday’s episode of The Pitt, the long-simmering tensions over the use of AI at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center boiled over.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, 9 minutes.
—Martha Stewart, 11 Feb. 2026
Outrage boiled over when those commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the federal government's immigration enforcement actions.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boil over
Cite this Entry
“Boil over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20over. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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