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
Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
What is Earth Day? Earth Day was first organized on April 22, 1970, in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2024
The forms included a statement linking a patient’s illness to oil spill work — with a line for the doctor to sign.
—Travis Loller, Fortune Europe, 19 Apr. 2024
Oil spills from obsolete infrastructure and methane produced by the refining process ravage the environment.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
The tribe refused to renew the easement in 2013 and has long worried about a potential oil spill on its reservation.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
This 18-liter one by REI Co-op has held up to years of wear and tear — it’s seen the wet bottoms of kayaks, multiple major sunscreen and bug spray spills, and too many trails to count.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
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
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
After the 2010 Deep Horizon oil spill, the dolphin population in the bay declined by 45%, with many suffering reproductive failure and other diseases caused by exposure to the oil.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
What is Earth Day? Earth Day was first organized on April 22, 1970, in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2024
The forms included a statement linking a patient’s illness to oil spill work — with a line for the doctor to sign.
—Travis Loller, Fortune Europe, 19 Apr. 2024
Oil spills from obsolete infrastructure and methane produced by the refining process ravage the environment.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
The tribe refused to renew the easement in 2013 and has long worried about a potential oil spill on its reservation.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
This 18-liter one by REI Co-op has held up to years of wear and tear — it’s seen the wet bottoms of kayaks, multiple major sunscreen and bug spray spills, and too many trails to count.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
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
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 28 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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