1
: to cause or allow especially accidentally or unintentionally to fall, flow, or run out so as to be lost or wasted
3
: to let out : divulge
spill a secret
4
a
: to relieve (a sail) from the pressure of the wind so as to reef or furl it
b
: to relieve the pressure of (wind) on a sail by coming about or by adjusting the sail with lines
5
: to throw off or out
a horse spilled him
1
a
: to flow, run, or fall out, over, or off and become wasted, scattered, or lost
water spilling over the dam
b
: to cause or allow something to spill
2
: to spread profusely or beyond bounds
crowds spilled into the streets
3
: to fall from one's place (as on a horse)
spiller
noun
1
: a wooden splinter
2
: a small roll or twist of paper or slip of wood for lighting a fire
Synonyms
Examples of spill in a Sentence
Verb
I accidentally spilled coffee all over my new suit.
Clean up the flour you spilled on the floor.
a puddle of spilled water
Water spilled over the dam.
She opened the door and light spilled into the room.
an interviewer who gets celebrities to spill their secrets
Come on, spill it. Who gave you the money?
Noun (1)
she tripped over the toy and had a nasty spill on the stairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Rebecca Gummere, TIME, 8 May 2024
Meanwhile, Norma senses that Mitzi is going through a life crisis and grossly convinces her to spill all.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 8 May 2024
Much ink has been spilled over why the U.K. flops at Eurovision.
—Leila Sales, SPIN, 7 May 2024
Cases of Coors spilled onto the side of a highway after a big rig overturned, California cops say.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 6 May 2024
One of Kelce’s buddies, former NBA player Chandler Parsons, spilled the beans in an interview at Churchill Downs on Friday that the Super Bowl champ would attend the 150th Running of the Roses on Saturday.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
The fireside living room features a decorative plaster ceiling and glass doors spilling outside.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 6 May 2024
Piles of coffee grounds spilled onto the floors of the historic facility, and workers had to remove them by the shovelful during the mid-2010s renovation.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
The Hartford Courant reported that about 4,000 gallons of fuel spilled and burned, while the rest was taken off the truck, per a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
The driver swings open the barrier door and shoves her off, before the two spill into the street — near LAPD’s Newton Division — on Central Avenue at Jefferson Boulevard.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024
This organizer comes fully assembled, and since bamboo is naturally waterproof, spills and damp flatware will not damage it.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
Coal ash spills have contaminated rivers in Tennessee, North Carolina and elsewhere.
—Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 1 May 2024
After the 2010 Deep Horizon oil spill, the dolphin population in the bay declined by 45%, with many suffering reproductive failure and other diseases caused by exposure to the oil.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
What is Earth Day? Earth Day was first organized on April 22, 1970, in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2024
The forms included a statement linking a patient’s illness to oil spill work — with a line for the doctor to sign.
—Travis Loller, Fortune Europe, 19 Apr. 2024
Oil spills from obsolete infrastructure and methane produced by the refining process ravage the environment.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
Verb
Hot tears of sorrow and anger spilled down my cheeks at my automatic reaction to holding an infant.
—Rebecca Gummere, TIME, 8 May 2024
Meanwhile, Norma senses that Mitzi is going through a life crisis and grossly convinces her to spill all.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 8 May 2024
Much ink has been spilled over why the U.K. flops at Eurovision.
—Leila Sales, SPIN, 7 May 2024
Cases of Coors spilled onto the side of a highway after a big rig overturned, California cops say.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 6 May 2024
One of Kelce’s buddies, former NBA player Chandler Parsons, spilled the beans in an interview at Churchill Downs on Friday that the Super Bowl champ would attend the 150th Running of the Roses on Saturday.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
The fireside living room features a decorative plaster ceiling and glass doors spilling outside.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 6 May 2024
Piles of coffee grounds spilled onto the floors of the historic facility, and workers had to remove them by the shovelful during the mid-2010s renovation.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
The Hartford Courant reported that about 4,000 gallons of fuel spilled and burned, while the rest was taken off the truck, per a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
Noun
Their property had been appraised to be worth around $1 million before the spill.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
The driver swings open the barrier door and shoves her off, before the two spill into the street — near LAPD’s Newton Division — on Central Avenue at Jefferson Boulevard.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024
This organizer comes fully assembled, and since bamboo is naturally waterproof, spills and damp flatware will not damage it.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
Coal ash spills have contaminated rivers in Tennessee, North Carolina and elsewhere.
—Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 1 May 2024
After the 2010 Deep Horizon oil spill, the dolphin population in the bay declined by 45%, with many suffering reproductive failure and other diseases caused by exposure to the oil.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
What is Earth Day? Earth Day was first organized on April 22, 1970, in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2024
The forms included a statement linking a patient’s illness to oil spill work — with a line for the doctor to sign.
—Travis Loller, Fortune Europe, 19 Apr. 2024
Oil spills from obsolete infrastructure and methane produced by the refining process ravage the environment.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spill
Cite this Entry
“Spill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spill. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spill
1 of 2 verb1
: to cause (blood) to flow by wounding or killing
2
a
: to cause or allow to fall, flow, or run out by accident
spilled some flour on the floor
b
: to fall or run out so as to be lost or wasted
the milk spilled
c
: to spread beyond limits
crowds spilled into the streets
3
: to throw off or out
a horse spilled its rider
4
: to let out : give away
spilled the secret
spiller
noun
spill
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act or instance of spilling
b
: a fall from a horse or vehicle
2
: something spilled
cleaning up an oil spill
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