as in summarizes
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 boils down
The answer boils down to how the spinning dead star dragged space and time in its wake.
—
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
What makes a city attractive boils down to factors like affordability, quality of life, and safety.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
This term so far boils down to broken promises, petty revenge and a base too loyal and dumb to bail on him.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Instead, the new argument boils down to jurisdiction.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
The deduction phases out at a rate that boils down to $100 for each $1,000 over the threshold.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
For its adherents, the sport always boils down to calculations of risk.
—Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Cheesy comparisons aside, the reason chefs are responsible for their own knives boils down to subjective preferences and comfort.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Feb. 2026
Solving a problem on a computer always boils down to transforming numerical inputs, usually written as strings of 0s and 1s, into outputs.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 17 Feb. 2026
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
What makes a city attractive boils down to factors like affordability, quality of life, and safety.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
This term so far boils down to broken promises, petty revenge and a base too loyal and dumb to bail on him.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Instead, the new argument boils down to jurisdiction.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
The deduction phases out at a rate that boils down to $100 for each $1,000 over the threshold.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
For its adherents, the sport always boils down to calculations of risk.
—Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Cheesy comparisons aside, the reason chefs are responsible for their own knives boils down to subjective preferences and comfort.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Feb. 2026
Solving a problem on a computer always boils down to transforming numerical inputs, usually written as strings of 0s and 1s, into outputs.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boils down
Verb
-
The Miami Herald was the first to report the FBI 302 document, which summarizes the interview.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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The seven-page report, which is redacted, summarizes the police response and investigation of the incident.—
Mark Reynolds,
The Providence Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The new rule outlines exempt transactions and also lists the order of priority of who the reporting person shall be.—
Howard Dakoff,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Here Baum outlines her top care tips for keeping your lawn in top shape all season long.—
Patricia Shannon,
The Spruce,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boils down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boils%20down. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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