boil down

See also boildown

English

Etymology

As an allusion to the technique of reduction or decreasing liquid content of food by boiling much of its water off.

Verb

boil down

1. (intransitive) To become reduced (to the most central elements or ingredients: to the essence, core, or implication for action).

   So what this boils down to is that you still owe me that fifty bucks.

2. (transitive) To reduce (to the most central elements or ingredients: to the essence, core, or implication for action).

   My dissertation is 342 pages long, and I'm required to boil it down to a one-page abstract?!?

3. (transitive and intransitive) Used other than as an idiom: see boil,‎ down.

   He boiled the soup down so it wouldn't be so weak.

Usage notes

• Usually followed by to, as in some of the examples above.
• What usually get boiled down are problems, arguments, statements, etc.

Synonyms

• (become reduced): come down to