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?
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 21 Apr. 2024
Oil prices spilled over, for one, and a very volatile Bitcoin bounced all around.
—Gabriela Riccardi, Quartz, 21 Apr. 2024
Defense attorney Kuchler suggests the powder was spilled by Hernan herself.
—Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Vedder spilled the news today (April 17) in an interview with KROQ, two days ahead of the release of Dark Matter, Pearl Jam’s first album since 2020’s Gigaton.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 17 Apr. 2024
The tumbler is dishwasher-safe, fits in most cupholders, and will reduce splashes and spills thanks to the secure lid.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Gray mist spilt from the lips of men dressed like Pilgrims, like Custer,
like Mounties.
—Tracy K. Smith, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Some of these have already spilled into the public.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Troubles at a company like GM, Ford, or Stellantis can therefore spill over to affect the broader picture.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Mark Osborne, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Read Next: Poachers Busted Selling Thousands of Pounds of Tuna and Mahi Mahi in California
Officials will continue to assess the ecological impacts of the spill.
—Sage Marshall, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2024
Parents, in particular, appreciated the portable vacuum for handling spills and messes.
—Amy Gordon, Parents, 3 Apr. 2024
The rail company said the settlement is intended to offset costs related to the spill that sent a plume of toxic smoke into the air and displaced many residents and businesses.
—David Goldman, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Most hazmat spills occur on America’s highways, not waterways, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis of federal data.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But those limited requirements were aimed at protecting wildlife from spills, not safeguarding critical infrastructure such as bridges.
—Joshua Goodman and Richard Lardner, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
As the first rays of moonlight spill across the cavern, the paintings on the walls seem to dull in detail and intensity; the colors drain, and the lines fade.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
However, Motorola claims the phone is safe from accidental spills, splashes, sweat, and light rain.
—PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
The incident happened when a tram struck a rail after a mechanical problem, spilling passengers to the ground, CNN reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 21 Apr. 2024
Oil prices spilled over, for one, and a very volatile Bitcoin bounced all around.
—Gabriela Riccardi, Quartz, 21 Apr. 2024
Defense attorney Kuchler suggests the powder was spilled by Hernan herself.
—Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Vedder spilled the news today (April 17) in an interview with KROQ, two days ahead of the release of Dark Matter, Pearl Jam’s first album since 2020’s Gigaton.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 17 Apr. 2024
The tumbler is dishwasher-safe, fits in most cupholders, and will reduce splashes and spills thanks to the secure lid.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Gray mist spilt from the lips of men dressed like Pilgrims, like Custer,
like Mounties.
—Tracy K. Smith, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Some of these have already spilled into the public.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Troubles at a company like GM, Ford, or Stellantis can therefore spill over to affect the broader picture.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
The spill forced hundreds of nearby residents out of their homes and sparked fears, as five tankers carried vinyl chloride, which posed serious health risks, burned, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the sky.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Read Next: Poachers Busted Selling Thousands of Pounds of Tuna and Mahi Mahi in California
Officials will continue to assess the ecological impacts of the spill.
—Sage Marshall, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2024
Parents, in particular, appreciated the portable vacuum for handling spills and messes.
—Amy Gordon, Parents, 3 Apr. 2024
The rail company said the settlement is intended to offset costs related to the spill that sent a plume of toxic smoke into the air and displaced many residents and businesses.
—David Goldman, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Most hazmat spills occur on America’s highways, not waterways, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis of federal data.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But those limited requirements were aimed at protecting wildlife from spills, not safeguarding critical infrastructure such as bridges.
—Joshua Goodman and Richard Lardner, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
As the first rays of moonlight spill across the cavern, the paintings on the walls seem to dull in detail and intensity; the colors drain, and the lines fade.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
However, Motorola claims the phone is safe from accidental spills, splashes, sweat, and light rain.
—PCMAG, 21 Mar. 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 27 Apr. 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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