noun
- an unexpected or sudden upset, especially in a sports competition or election
- an instance of liquid boiling over the edge of a pot or container
Usage: informal; common in sports journalism
Usage: literal, cooking context
verb
- to boil and overflow from a container
Usage: literal, cooking context
Examples
- The underdog team's victory was a major boilover in the tournament.
- The milk boiled over and made a mess on the stove.
- Nobody expected the boilover in the election results.
- If you don't watch the pot, the water will boil over.
- Sports fans love a good boilover when the top seed loses.
- The soup boiled over while I was answering the phone.