: a passage for surplus water to run over or around an obstruction (such as a dam)
Examples of spillway in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Or, on the spillway side, Riverhaven Drive resident Andrew Freund has been able to wade summer after summer into the peaceful, shallow, clear water below his and his wife Devon’s house with a snorkel and a mask on his head, surveying the bottom of the entire cove.
—
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
If reservoirs fill to the top too quickly in big storms, large amounts of water are released down their spillways, causing flooding to homes and communities downstream.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Photos and videos show water gushing into the hole after back-to-back atmospheric rivers poured several inches of rain over northern California, raising Lake Berryessa water levels enough that water overflowed into the spillway.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Water raged even higher this time (nearly 8 feet over the top of the spillway) and became a monster, obliterating parts of the neighborhood.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spillway
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
If reservoirs fill to the top too quickly in big storms, large amounts of water are released down their spillways, causing flooding to homes and communities downstream.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Photos and videos show water gushing into the hole after back-to-back atmospheric rivers poured several inches of rain over northern California, raising Lake Berryessa water levels enough that water overflowed into the spillway.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Water raged even higher this time (nearly 8 feet over the top of the spillway) and became a monster, obliterating parts of the neighborhood.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spillway
Cite this Entry
“Spillway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillway. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spillway
noun
spill·way
ˈspil-ˌwā 
: a passage for extra water to run over or around a dam
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share