: 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
Northern California’s famed ‘Glory Hole’ spillway is used for first time in years.
—
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The hardware, or physical infrastructure, is the spillway and dam, which in the case of New Bullards Bar, holds back almost 1 million acre-feet of water.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2025
Drag slider compare photos The turnaround has been heralded by Casitas General Manager Mike Flood as the fastest rebound in the lake's history, according to reports in the Ventura County Star, with water going over the dam's spillway in April 2024—something last seen in 1998.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
By late April, the reservoir had reached the spillway.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The hardware, or physical infrastructure, is the spillway and dam, which in the case of New Bullards Bar, holds back almost 1 million acre-feet of water.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2025
Drag slider compare photos The turnaround has been heralded by Casitas General Manager Mike Flood as the fastest rebound in the lake's history, according to reports in the Ventura County Star, with water going over the dam's spillway in April 2024—something last seen in 1998.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
By late April, the reservoir had reached the spillway.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 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 21 Feb. 2025.
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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