spillover

noun

spill·​over ˈspil-ˌō-vər How to pronounce spillover (audio)
often attributive
1
: the act or an instance of spilling over
2
: a quantity that spills over
3
: an extension of something especially when an excess exists
benefiting from a spillover of prosperity from neighboring states

Examples of spillover in a Sentence

Put a pan under the pie to catch any spillovers. New technology has a positive spillover effect into countless fields.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
These switch-like responses suggest that certain landscape changes may trigger spillover conditions rather than gradually increase them. John Drake, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 The innovation spillover impacts industries from aerospace to athletics, the latter including carbon-fiber running shoes worn in an Olympic trial last year. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2025 The spillover lands on their family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025 The world may never know for certain whether the pandemic originated from an animal-to-human spillover or a lab leak. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spillover

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spillover was in 1940

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spillover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillover. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

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