: 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
As another atmospheric river approaches Northern California, local agencies have begun conducting releases from spillways to make room for more water.
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Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
More than 180,000 people evacuated from Yuba-Sutter and beyond when the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway nearly failed in 2017.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Even a short jaunt — from the Botanical Garden to Dean Village, for example — will provide a sense of peace, with the sounds of bird song and the rushing waters from old spillways.
—Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
For many years, the lake level was maintained at 290 feet, which is about 40% capacity, 25 feet below the spillway level of 315 feet.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spillway
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Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
More than 180,000 people evacuated from Yuba-Sutter and beyond when the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway nearly failed in 2017.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Even a short jaunt — from the Botanical Garden to Dean Village, for example — will provide a sense of peace, with the sounds of bird song and the rushing waters from old spillways.
—Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
For many years, the lake level was maintained at 290 feet, which is about 40% capacity, 25 feet below the spillway level of 315 feet.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spillway
Cite this Entry
“Spillway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillway. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
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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