as in searing
having a notably high temperature
it was boiling in that car, and the owners had foolishly left their pet in it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of boiling
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
More boiling water: Boil water advisories typically happen due to a water main break and/or a loss of pressure in the water system.
—
Brian Manzullo,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Oct. 2017
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
When not displaying geyser-like activity, the pool was actively boiling.
—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, without stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes more or until caramel is a rich brown color but not burnt.
—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 June 2026
In conventional steam turbines, this means boiling water into steam, which is why the heat source is called a boiler.
—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 June 2026
The boiling water creates intense thermal shock that instantly ruptures the plant's cell walls, melting its protective waxy coating and causing the foliage to collapse and dehydrate, effectively cooking the plant tissue.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 June 2026
While the water is technically heated to near-boiling temperatures to brew coffee and tea, that’s not always enough to guarantee safety, especially when altitude changes the boiling point.
—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
But when Prince meets print, that means boiling everything down even further.
—
Ahmir “questlove” Thompson,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
The objects of Cady’s slow-boiling vengeance — seemingly — are married lawyers Tom (Patrick Wilson) and Anna Bowden (Amy Adams), sharing the position previously represented solely by Gregory Peck and Nick Nolte in turn.
—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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
More boiling water: Boil water advisories typically happen due to a water main break and/or a loss of pressure in the water system.
—
Brian Manzullo,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Oct. 2017
Verb
Giant factories vent massive amounts of boiling exhaust straight into the atmosphere.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
When not displaying geyser-like activity, the pool was actively boiling.
—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, without stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes more or until caramel is a rich brown color but not burnt.
—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 June 2026
In conventional steam turbines, this means boiling water into steam, which is why the heat source is called a boiler.
—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 June 2026
The boiling water creates intense thermal shock that instantly ruptures the plant's cell walls, melting its protective waxy coating and causing the foliage to collapse and dehydrate, effectively cooking the plant tissue.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 June 2026
While the water is technically heated to near-boiling temperatures to brew coffee and tea, that’s not always enough to guarantee safety, especially when altitude changes the boiling point.
—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
But when Prince meets print, that means boiling everything down even further.
—
Ahmir “questlove” Thompson,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
The objects of Cady’s slow-boiling vengeance — seemingly — are married lawyers Tom (Patrick Wilson) and Anna Bowden (Amy Adams), sharing the position previously represented solely by Gregory Peck and Nick Nolte in turn.
—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiling
Adjective
-
That has given players an opportunity to rest and recover ahead of the next fixture, but some of those games have taken place in searing heat, which will have had its effect on players, especially if they are not used to playing in that climate.
-
But the street parties also come after months of scrutiny as FIFA has faced searing criticism across the globe for soaring World Cup ticket prices.
Verb
-
When in doubt, stick to food that is cooked and served steaming hot.
-
Enjoy a steaming plate of weekend-only biscuits and gravy.
Verb
-
This idea’s been stewing in my brain ever since.
-
Something about her kept stewing in my head.
Verb
-
Rumors of guest list drama are swirling Unsurprisingly, Swift and Kelce have been tight-lipped about wedding details, but keeping an event this huge under wraps is an uphill battle.
-
In May, confirming rumors that had been swirling for months, Anthropic’s life sciences lead Eric Kauderer-Abrams publicly acknowledged that the company is building out its own wet labs and hiring biologists to run its own basic research.
Adjective
-
In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
-
Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online.
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the jet stream — following the arc around the heat dome — is carrying wildfire smoke up north to Minnesota and the Upper Midwest from raging wildfires in Utah, Arizona and Colorado.
-
That's the word from fire officials across the nation during the heart of fireworks season, and especially out west, where wildfires are raging.
Verb
-
Putin said a task force was working to alleviate the issue, which has grown into a serious crisis as the Kremlin grapples with simmering discontent on a range of issues.
-
Try simmering a cinnamon stick with your banana peel tea for an additional burst of flavor.
Verb
-
Ray continued his reinvention into a two-seam fastball pitcher, churning efficient contact outs and taking a shutout into the eighth inning before allowing an unearned run.
-
With more shaking or churning, these grains grow and separate from the watery, naturally low-fat buttermilk.
Cite this Entry
“Boiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiling. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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