boil down

verb

boiled down; boiling down; boils down

transitive verb

1

: to reduce in bulk by boiling

2

: condense, summarize

boil down a report

intransitive verb

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

• abstract
• brief
• digest
• encapsulate
• epitomize
• outline
• recap
• recapitulate
• reprise
• sum up
• summarize
• synopsize
• wrap up

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

Her counterargument, essentially, is that his atheism, too, boils down to a kind of feeling. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

Following a tense day that featured bomb threats at polling places and voting misinformation, the race predictably boiled down to ballots in crucial swing states. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

In the end, its long-term choice boiled down to picking between a pair of guys who had been on the same team since 2017 when Browning arrived at Ohio State. —Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024

But some advocates say, because gay couples are easily identifiable, the law will boil down to a blanket targeting of them. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

boil down

verb

: to reduce or become reduced by or as if by boiling

let the sauce boil down

boil down a report