boil down
verb
boiled down; boiling down; boils down
1
: to undergo reduction in bulk by boiling
2
a
: to be equivalent in summary : amount
his speech boiled down to a plea for more money
b
: to reduce ultimately
your choices boil down to three
Synonyms
Examples of boil down in a Sentence
the discussion of the problem can be boiled down to a couple of critical points
Recent Examples on the Web
But the conflict boils down to something rather simple: Will Israel’s neighbors agree to peaceful coexistence?
—
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 17 May 2024
On Your Side 03:00 That may also boil down to differences in opinion about the economy, with Republicans more likely to espouse negative views about the current economic situation than Democrats.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 May 2024
Xi’s ambition to strengthen his regime security, enhance the Chinese Communist Party’s supremacy, and deliver his dream of national rejuvenation can be boiled down to two visions.
—Steve Tsang, TIME, 11 May 2024
Fooling one on a fly can boil down to minutiae like skipping head cement on your flies to reduce unnatural smells.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 2 May 2024
But in a tight race boiling down to what happens in a few swing states, challenges remain — especially for Biden.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024
To promote the remix, Kanye shared an X-rated meme that boiled down to saying fans of J. Cole don’t have very much luck with women.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Agave nectar: Made from the agave plant (the same plant that is distilled to make tequila), the sap is boiled down into a syrup and used as a sweetener.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Some of the dispute between the IBEW Local 18 and the city attorney’s office boils down to whether the DWP is included in the city charter’s prohibition against taking another city job after retirement.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 17 May 2024
On Your Side 03:00 That may also boil down to differences in opinion about the economy, with Republicans more likely to espouse negative views about the current economic situation than Democrats.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 May 2024
Xi’s ambition to strengthen his regime security, enhance the Chinese Communist Party’s supremacy, and deliver his dream of national rejuvenation can be boiled down to two visions.
—Steve Tsang, TIME, 11 May 2024
Fooling one on a fly can boil down to minutiae like skipping head cement on your flies to reduce unnatural smells.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 2 May 2024
But in a tight race boiling down to what happens in a few swing states, challenges remain — especially for Biden.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024
To promote the remix, Kanye shared an X-rated meme that boiled down to saying fans of J. Cole don’t have very much luck with women.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Agave nectar: Made from the agave plant (the same plant that is distilled to make tequila), the sap is boiled down into a syrup and used as a sweetener.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Some of the dispute between the IBEW Local 18 and the city attorney’s office boils down to whether the DWP is included in the city charter’s prohibition against taking another city job after retirement.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boil down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near boil down
Cite this Entry
“Boil down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boil%20down. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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