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
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?
Noun (1)
she tripped over the toy and had a nasty spill on the stairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
For almost two weeks, social media has spilled over with videos capturing immigration agents at shopping centers and markets and on neighborhood streets, and federal agents making arrests at swap meets, car washes and other businesses.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025
Hair donation is the process of cutting usually large amounts of hair to donate and support various causes, from charities that make real-hair wigs for people going through cancer treatment or other hair loss to creating tools that can help clear oil spills after environmental disasters.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spill
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Boundary management—Knowing how to set limits on time and energy in roles that can easily spill over into off-hours, particularly for remote or freelance work.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
For almost two weeks, social media has spilled over with videos capturing immigration agents at shopping centers and markets and on neighborhood streets, and federal agents making arrests at swap meets, car washes and other businesses.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
Noun
These sheets proved impressively durable, too, with stains from coffee and makeup coming entirely clean, and only some residue left behind from an oil spill.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025
Hair donation is the process of cutting usually large amounts of hair to donate and support various causes, from charities that make real-hair wigs for people going through cancer treatment or other hair loss to creating tools that can help clear oil spills after environmental disasters.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spill
Cite this Entry
“Spill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spill. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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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