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 As of early 2024, nearly every country in the region has normalized relations with the Taliban, in spite of common concerns about the stability of Afghanistan and the potential for spillover effects into their borders. Asfandyar Mir, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2024 There’s a pretty patio and a second-floor mezzanine for spillover and special events. Malcolm Mayhew, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 This homogeneity has had a spillover effect into the real world - for example, Instagrammable cafes have started to all look alike around the world. Erleia, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Be sure to cover the top of your blender with a dish towel in case there’s spillover. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024 The spillover into Europe of upsurges in Israeli-Palestinian violence is not new. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2023 The schools also saw some spillover gains in students’ math achievement. Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2024 The deepening cycle of violence is a setback to President Biden’s goal of stemming spillover hostilities triggered by Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024 Just a few days earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, kicked off his fourth urgent Mideast mission in three months, aimed at containing spillover from the ongoing conflict. Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spillover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spillover was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near spillover

Cite this Entry

“Spillover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillover. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on spillover

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