boiling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbȯi(-ə)-liŋ How to pronounce boiling (audio)
Definition of boilingnext
as in searing
having a notably high temperature it was boiling in that car, and the owners had foolishly left their pet in it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

boiling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of boil
1
as in steaming
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger the passengers were boiling when they found out the flight was delayed yet again

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2
as in stewing
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam boil the potatoes until they are tender before you try to mash them

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3
as in swirling
to be in a state of violent rolling motion the sea boiled and frothed during the storm

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of boiling
Adjective
More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing. — semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025 Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life. — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025 One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas. — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2020 If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean. — Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2019 The simplest fix could be as easy as boiling water—boil a medium-size pot once or twice per week, and pour down the drain. — Country Living Staff, Country Living, 14 Oct. 2019 Although boiling water is always a set temperature, eggs coming from the fridge or countertop are not. — Genevieve Ko, latimes.com, 18 June 2019 Organizers shared tips to help prevent the virus, which include washing hands with soap for more than 30 seconds, eating food that is thoroughly cooked and boiling water before drinking. — Rachel Axon, USA TODAY Sports, 6 Feb. 2018
Verb
Some carts were stacked high with metal steamers, while others held vats of boiling water to blanch tender stalks of gai lan. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Residents and businesses in South Fulton, Fairburn, Union City, Chattahoochee Hills and Palmetto can use tap water without boiling it after Atlanta officials lifted the boil water advisory Wednesday morning. — Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Meghan shows a pot of berries boiling on the stove, and pans over to little Lilibet, wooden spoon in hand. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026 This woman is just one boiling bunny removed from a restraining order and Wilde amusingly plays it for all its worth. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 Both are distillates, produced by boiling crude oil and then cooling it back into liquid form. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026 These salts can withstand very high temperatures before boiling. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026 New potatoes, Red Bliss, fingerlings, and other waxy varieties have a dense texture and hold their shape particularly well after boiling. — Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026 While chicken broth is made from meat, chicken stock is made from bones, which are sometimes roasted before boiling to bring out a deeper color and richer flavor. — Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiling
  1. searing
  2. steaming
  3. stewing
  4. swirling
  5. burning
  6. raging
  7. simmering
  8. churning
Adjective
  • What followed was a horrific night of physical and mental spousal abuse, which Adams describes in searing, emotional prose.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Artificial, which arrives in theaters on Christmas, may be the most searing of the lot.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of searing
Verb
  • Shawn, his parents, and the stranger were sitting around the dining table, their bowls of rice steaming before them, when the knock came.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Exhibiting a pile of hot, steaming garbage might have been more transgressive than showing these sculptures.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of steaming
Verb
  • Meanwhile, in the background, favorable sentiments about statement pieces have been stewing.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Philadelphia is fresh off a one-point loss in the final seconds and spent their entire trip back from London stewing over it — while the Panthers enjoyed a bye week.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stewing
Verb
  • Outside, the Santa Ana winds sent debris swirling with powerful gusts.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As for the suites, the highlight is their private terraces, peaceful havens from which to admire, paradoxically, the urban whirlwind swirling below.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirling
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Verb
  • In 1994, a raging inferno erupted at a home in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That is until yachting fan King Constantine of Greece spotted an advertisement in Time magazine that pictured a Hublot against the background of a raging sea with a glimpse of sailboat in the corner.
    — Simon de Burton, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of raging
Verb
  • But there’s also plenty of acrimony and recrimination in the aftermath of the school board election and one final confrontation between King and Paul Martino at a roundtable that leaves little doubt that tensions are still simmering.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As the male assassin finds her and nearly drowns her in a lake, River catches up to the scene in time to save her, and the episode shifts to accommodate the romantic chemistry that’s been simmering between them since the series premiere.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of simmering
Verb
  • These are songs that iterate and elevate minor party fouls into dramas of symphonic proportion, arrangements that articulate the heightened emotions churning inside anxious minds.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Jon-Eric Sullivan needs to continue churning the roster The Dolphins have made 16 waiver wire claims or practice squad poaches since training camp opened.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of churning

Phrases Containing boiling

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boiled over
boiling
boiling down
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Cite this Entry

“Boiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiling. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boiling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boiling

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