spillover

noun

spill·​over ˈspil-ˌō-vər How to pronounce spillover (audio)
often attributive
1
: the act or an instance of spilling over
2
: a quantity that spills over
3
: an extension of something especially when an excess exists
benefiting from a spillover of prosperity from neighboring states

Examples of spillover in a Sentence

Put a pan under the pie to catch any spillovers. New technology has a positive spillover effect into countless fields.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The spillover from these policies has won a legion of contests. John Kenneth Galbraith, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 Political trolling online is nothing new, but its spillover into blaming victims and survivors of disaster is a dangerous new low. Nick Allardice, Time, 10 July 2025 The Broader Costs of Medicaid Cuts Beyond the funding that will be cut from school budgets, there will be other spillover effects from the recent bill as Medicaid and Medicare cuts, along with loss of tax credits for other insurance, affect families. Linda Darling-Hammond, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 That spillover is called a combined sewer overflow, or CSO. Sofi Zeman july 3, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for spillover

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spillover was in 1940

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Cite this Entry

“Spillover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillover. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on spillover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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