as in blisters
a small, inflamed swelling of the skin
the dermatologist lanced the infected boil that had formed on the patient's neck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in steams
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
the passengers were boiling when they found out the flight was delayed yet again
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of boils
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
But it's very commonly associated with like seafood boils.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026
Last year, the restaurant changed concepts to Amelies — named after Wang’s wife — continuing to offer seafood boils in tandem with new dishes.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
The party was complete with seafood boils, a brass band, and a photo booth.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
The list of occasions can go on and on, ranging from universal (football and concerts) to local (ice fishing in northern Minnesota and crawfish boils in Baton Rouge).
—Rahul Goyal, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2026
Dining at the luxury resort includes 10 on-site options ranging from COAST’s fine dining to lobster boils, casual beach fare and champagne bars.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
Baker inquires about the design of the hunchback and hovers his hand above her bulbous boils.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Those include fish boils, something usually associated with Wisconsin’s Door County.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The southern gothic The Heart, She Holler takes the convoluted elements of a soap opera — torrid affairs, small-town corruption, arbitrary plot twists — and boils them down alongside a heavy dose of gross-out surrealism to fit into 11-minute installments.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Bobbi boils with resentment and shame when Recife’s crooked police chief undermines his masculinity.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Charleston has also earned a national reputation for its cuisine, with restaurants, such as Hyman’s Seafood and Magnolias, serving classic dishes like shrimp-n-grits, red rice, and Lowcountry boils.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Other seafood boils range from $20 to $50.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
Here are some parties, crawfish boils, king cake locations, and more for the holiday.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Feb. 2026
As the water boils and the microwave interior gets steamy, your kitchen will fill with the soothing smell.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Its carbon steel boils water quickly, while retaining heat.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
Don’t be tempted to take an earlier exit, even though signs along I-10 will boast the finest boils in the state.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
But it's very commonly associated with like seafood boils.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026
Last year, the restaurant changed concepts to Amelies — named after Wang’s wife — continuing to offer seafood boils in tandem with new dishes.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
The party was complete with seafood boils, a brass band, and a photo booth.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
The list of occasions can go on and on, ranging from universal (football and concerts) to local (ice fishing in northern Minnesota and crawfish boils in Baton Rouge).
—Rahul Goyal, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2026
Dining at the luxury resort includes 10 on-site options ranging from COAST’s fine dining to lobster boils, casual beach fare and champagne bars.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
Baker inquires about the design of the hunchback and hovers his hand above her bulbous boils.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Those include fish boils, something usually associated with Wisconsin’s Door County.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
Northern Wisconsin roads break up in spring, when frost literally boils out of the ground.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The southern gothic The Heart, She Holler takes the convoluted elements of a soap opera — torrid affairs, small-town corruption, arbitrary plot twists — and boils them down alongside a heavy dose of gross-out surrealism to fit into 11-minute installments.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Bobbi boils with resentment and shame when Recife’s crooked police chief undermines his masculinity.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Charleston has also earned a national reputation for its cuisine, with restaurants, such as Hyman’s Seafood and Magnolias, serving classic dishes like shrimp-n-grits, red rice, and Lowcountry boils.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Other seafood boils range from $20 to $50.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
Here are some parties, crawfish boils, king cake locations, and more for the holiday.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Feb. 2026
As the water boils and the microwave interior gets steamy, your kitchen will fill with the soothing smell.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Its carbon steel boils water quickly, while retaining heat.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boils
Verb
-
This all comes as the legal fight over the audit steams ahead, over 15 months after 72% of the state signed off on the ballot measure.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Mile End's Bohème Vintage stocks quality wool and denim, and steams them right behind the counter.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Other cast members include sous chef Alesia Harris, who returned from Season 3, stews Jenna Woudberg and Joe Caron, deckhands Eddy Hounsell and Betul Yazici, and deck/stew Mike Durrant.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Droves of Amazon shoppers are also going after this Crock-Pot lunchbox that makes reheating winter soups and stews a breeze at work, as well as this Lego poinsettia that serves as a fun, interactive gift and transforms into decor once it’s built.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Fashion month and awards season may have drawn to a close, but the global cultural calendar churns on.—
Mahoro Seward,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2026
-
As the song churns on, the focus narrows in on West until everything else falls away.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In fact, one of the most common triggers of rosacea, which is characterized by flushing, swelling, spider veins, papules, and pustules, is exposure to sunlight.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Research suggests that pimple patches aren't effective on cystic acne, pustules, or blackheads.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The debate over ‘AGI’ rages on’ Last week, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang claimed that AGI—artificial general intelligence—had already been achieved.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And the war in Ukraine rages on.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a time and a place for a laborious chili recipe with upwards of 30 ingredients that simmers all day long.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Black lives don’t matter in Warwick Thornton’s fiercely original outback Western Wolfram, a surprisingly emotional genre piece that simmers with menace and doesn’t let up until the bloody finale.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To load the product onto the brush, Barnes swirls the tool into the pan twice and taps it twice to prevent fallout.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The lights are dim and jazzy music swirls the intimate crowd.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the rearview mirror, my reflection was dotted with fat, angry pimples, sweating and growing more aggressive in their itch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Mar. 2026
-
This year, Select editors got ahead of any surprise pimples by investigating the difference between skin purging and breakouts, researching the best over-the-counter topicals for teen acne, and asking dermatologists the best blackhead treatments for acne-prone skin.—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boils. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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