boiling point

noun

1
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
2
a
: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
b
: the point of crisis : head sense 17b
matters had reached the boiling point

Examples of boiling point in a Sentence

The boiling point of water is 212° Fahrenheit or 100° Celsius. when the situation reached the boiling point, the President had no choice but to order out the National Guard
Recent Examples on the Web The spat continued into 2021, reaching a boiling point in June ahead of a planned Morrison concert at the Europa Hotel in Belfast. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2024 Most recently, there has been fierce opposition within the team, with resistance reaching a boiling point. Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 Anger at Netanyahu – who has been accused of stalling efforts for a deal by some hostage families and their supporters – reached a boiling point Sunday as protesters responded in fury to the news that another six captives had been found killed in Gaza. Lauren Izso, CNN, 2 Sep. 2024 Columbia became a boiling point for protests about the war between Hamas and Israel, starting with an encampment in April and culminating with law enforcement needed to restore order. Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for boiling point 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boiling point.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boiling point was in 1741

Dictionary Entries Near boiling point

Cite this Entry

“Boiling point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boiling%20point. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

boiling point

noun
1
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
2
: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
3
: the point of crisis

Medical Definition

boiling point

noun
boil·​ing point ˈbȯi-liŋ-ˌpȯint How to pronounce boiling point (audio)
: the temperature at which a liquid boils

More from Merriam-Webster on boiling point

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!