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 Perhaps ongoing quiet tensions have reached a boiling point. Sonal Jain, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 The debate over whether electric vehicle incentives are creating good-paying jobs is reaching a boiling point in some of the country's tightest races in a key battleground state. Daniel Moore, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024 Gossip in your squad is reaching a boiling point, urging you to create boundaries with friends. Lisa Stardust, People.com, 12 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Jones’ trial came as race relations in Los Angeles were reaching a boiling point. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 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

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