: 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
Advocates argue there’s a lot more to consider environmentally than whether a spillway is big enough.
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Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2024
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
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Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2024
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
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 19 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spillway
noun
spill·way
ˈspil-ˌwā 
: a passage for extra water to run over or around a dam
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