SpeakUp

boil over — liquid spills while boiling

phrasal verbB1common

rise up and spill over the side of a pan while boiling

Pattern: something boils over

In use

  • Keep an eye on the pasta or it'll boil over and make a mess.food
  • The milk boiled over and went all over the hob.food

Common mistake

Confusing with 'boil' alone — 'boil over' means it spills.

Practice speaking with instant AI feedback →