on the boil

idiom

1
British, informal : in a state of activity or development
The deal is still on the boil.
kept their romance on the boil
2
: on a hot burner/stove so that a liquid would boil
She put the kettle (of water) on the boil.

Examples of on the boil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Steps have been taken to involve its players — some quite altered — more closely, even heroically, in big political events; to keep the drama on the boil; and to strike a more inspirational note at the finale than does the novel. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023 Keeping the turbo on the boil means keeping the revs up, and that translates into a ton of engine noise—all of it the wrong kind. Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 12 Apr. 2023 The cost of perpetuating that world is an atmosphere clogged with greenhouse gases and weather on the boil. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023 Other factors, such as wage increases, could keep inflation on the boil. Nicole Friedman, WSJ, 7 Dec. 2022 Food prices in India have been on the boil this year due to supply constraints. Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 11 July 2022 Soaring prices of everything from gasoline to essential medicines have kept protests on the boil in Sri Lanka, which is close to bankruptcy and has suspended payments on foreign debt. Time, 10 May 2022 That was in 1968, during a decade when racial politics was perpetually on the boil in the United States, and Kamoinge was right there for it. New York Times, 13 Jan. 2021 Keep the ride-by-wire kettle on the boil, 3,000-5,000 revs and stir the 5-speed gear box as needed. Joe Michaud, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2020

Dictionary Entries Near on the boil

Cite this Entry

“On the boil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20boil. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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