: 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
Both years saw major flooding and use of the spillway.
—
Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
The inspection found deterioration of the spillway outfall pipe, and trees growing upstream, downstream and along the embankment, the consent order states.
—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2024
The year before, in 2017, more than 200,000 people were evacuated when the spillway at Oroville Dam crumbled during heavy winter storms, raising fears the massive dam might collapse.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 3 July 2024
Both modes of transportation were discontinued when the Sewer Museum was officially founded in 1975, and they were replaced by walking tours that travel more than a third of a mile through underground flush tanks, spillways, and passages strung with water pipes and cables.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024
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.
Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
The inspection found deterioration of the spillway outfall pipe, and trees growing upstream, downstream and along the embankment, the consent order states.
—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2024
The year before, in 2017, more than 200,000 people were evacuated when the spillway at Oroville Dam crumbled during heavy winter storms, raising fears the massive dam might collapse.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 3 July 2024
Both modes of transportation were discontinued when the Sewer Museum was officially founded in 1975, and they were replaced by walking tours that travel more than a third of a mile through underground flush tanks, spillways, and passages strung with water pipes and cables.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for spillway
Dictionary Entries Near spillway
Cite this Entry
“Spillway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillway. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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