: a passage for surplus water to run over or around an obstruction (such as a dam)
Examples of spillway in a Sentence
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Use spillway to regulate Without that outlet, potentially for years, dam operators will use its spillway, higher on the wall of the dam, to regulate the river.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Several reservoirs, including Loch Lomond, the main water supply for the city of Santa Cruz, and Lake Cachuma, the largest reservoir in Santa Barbara County, were 100% full on Wednesday, with water running down their spillways.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
As another atmospheric river approaches Northern California, local agencies have begun conducting releases from spillways to make room for more water.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
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
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Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Several reservoirs, including Loch Lomond, the main water supply for the city of Santa Cruz, and Lake Cachuma, the largest reservoir in Santa Barbara County, were 100% full on Wednesday, with water running down their spillways.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
As another atmospheric river approaches Northern California, local agencies have begun conducting releases from spillways to make room for more water.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for spillway
Cite this Entry
“Spillway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillway. Accessed 20 Mar. 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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