: 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
By late April, the reservoir had reached the spillway.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
The inspection found deterioration of the spillway outfall pipe, and trees growing upstream, downstream and along the embankment.
—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2024
Advocates argue there’s a lot more to consider environmentally than whether a spillway is big enough.
—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
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Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
The inspection found deterioration of the spillway outfall pipe, and trees growing upstream, downstream and along the embankment.
—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2024
Advocates argue there’s a lot more to consider environmentally than whether a spillway is big enough.
—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
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 4 Jan. 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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