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?
Noun (1)
she tripped over the toy and had a nasty spill on the stairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Li Cohen, CBS News, 17 May 2024
The fight over bundling between the streaming service and publishers has spilled into a dispute over other issues.
—Robert Burnson, TIME, 17 May 2024
But the Daily Mail said it’s become difficult for Trump’s third wife to keep her husband’s alleged personal indiscretions from spilling over into their private family life.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
The students learn on electronic whiteboards and eat in cafeterias that spill into beautiful courtyards.
—Alia Wong, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2024
The economic benefits have spilled over into neighboring U.S. cities, creating jobs in manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, logistics, real estate and services.
—Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
Halfway through its set, the warm-and-fuzzy community feel began to fade as a musty humidity, reminiscent of a YMCA locker room, mingled with the sickly sweet scent of vape and spilled beer.
—Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2024
John Legend is spilling the details about Chrissy Teigen’s neck injury.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Hot tears of sorrow and anger spilled down my cheeks at my automatic reaction to holding an infant.
—Rebecca Gummere, TIME, 8 May 2024
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2024
Video shows part of the train trestle on the bridge collapsed while the vessel also unleashed an oil spill.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 17 May 2024
The impact sent pieces of the bridge, which connects Galveston to Pelican Island, tumbling on top of the barge and shut down a stretch of waterway so crews could clean up the spill.
—Juan Lozano, Fortune, 16 May 2024
Keep in Mind Though beautiful, the marble shelves require your immediate attention in the event of spills to avoid staining.
—Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2024
The final day of the 2021 Pacific Airshow was canceled due to an oil spill that ended up closing beaches for weeks along the coast.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
Keep your home clean from crumbs and spills, so there’s less food to attract ants.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
This is how all spills happen at my house too: super passive-aggressively.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 May 2024
Their property had been appraised to be worth around $1 million before the spill.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
Verb
Officials did not know at first how much oil had been spilled but said the barge holds 30,000 gallons of oil.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 17 May 2024
The fight over bundling between the streaming service and publishers has spilled into a dispute over other issues.
—Robert Burnson, TIME, 17 May 2024
But the Daily Mail said it’s become difficult for Trump’s third wife to keep her husband’s alleged personal indiscretions from spilling over into their private family life.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
The students learn on electronic whiteboards and eat in cafeterias that spill into beautiful courtyards.
—Alia Wong, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2024
The economic benefits have spilled over into neighboring U.S. cities, creating jobs in manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, logistics, real estate and services.
—Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2024
Halfway through its set, the warm-and-fuzzy community feel began to fade as a musty humidity, reminiscent of a YMCA locker room, mingled with the sickly sweet scent of vape and spilled beer.
—Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2024
John Legend is spilling the details about Chrissy Teigen’s neck injury.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Hot tears of sorrow and anger spilled down my cheeks at my automatic reaction to holding an infant.
—Rebecca Gummere, TIME, 8 May 2024
Noun
The transport lurches to a halt and searing light spills in as this truckload of bruised, barely living prisoners, Hamid among them, is frogmarched at gunpoint into the desert.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2024
Video shows part of the train trestle on the bridge collapsed while the vessel also unleashed an oil spill.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 17 May 2024
The impact sent pieces of the bridge, which connects Galveston to Pelican Island, tumbling on top of the barge and shut down a stretch of waterway so crews could clean up the spill.
—Juan Lozano, Fortune, 16 May 2024
Keep in Mind Though beautiful, the marble shelves require your immediate attention in the event of spills to avoid staining.
—Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2024
The final day of the 2021 Pacific Airshow was canceled due to an oil spill that ended up closing beaches for weeks along the coast.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
Keep your home clean from crumbs and spills, so there’s less food to attract ants.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
This is how all spills happen at my house too: super passive-aggressively.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 May 2024
Their property had been appraised to be worth around $1 million before the spill.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 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 23 May. 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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