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
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.
According to the post, tensions reached a boiling point during a family dinner. Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025 But, recently, owning a Tesla has become awkward, embarrassing or controversial for many as animus against the carmaker’s CEO, Elon Musk, reaches a boiling point. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025 Advertisement The psychological thriller, out on March 21, reaches a boiling point in this moment, and one that would be hard to predict at the film’s start, which sees Min-chan as a mild-mannered pastor trying his best to offer solace and guidance to his dwindling flock of churchgoers. Kayti Burt, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025 The simmering tension reached a boiling point on April 18, 2022. Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for boiling point

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

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Cite this Entry

“Boiling point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boiling%20point. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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

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