spillway

noun

spill·​way ˈspil-ˌwā 

: 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

This week, operators at Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, which holds back California’s second-largest reservoir, opened the spillway gates and began releasing billions of gallons of water down the massive concrete spillway into the Feather River below. —Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spillway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

spillway

noun

spill·​way ˈspil-ˌwā 

: a passage for extra water to run over or around a dam