boil
verb (used without object)
to change from a liquid to a gaseous state, producing bubbles of gas that rise to the surface of the liquid, agitating it as they rise.
had been boiling
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past perfect progressiveof boil.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“When ‘Boyfriend’ came about, it was one of those things that had been boiling, bubbling up in me that felt like something I needed to address and express.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
She said she had been boiling tap water before drinking it on Wednesday, in case the city’s waterworks had been infused with floodwater.
From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
Even before the service disruption, the city’s 150,000 residents had been boiling their drinking water for the past month because officials said it could cause digestive problems.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2022
There was a lot of frustration that had been boiling up within me, so I went for broke.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 15, 2011
The water in the saucepan had been boiling when Malcolm came in.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
