: 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
The Nicasio proposal calls for modifying the spillway gates at Seeger Dam, which was constructed on Nicasio Creek in 1960 to create the reservoir.
—
Adrian Rodriguez, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
When full, at 315 feet above sea level at the spillway, Lake Hodges has 1,234 surface acres, a maximum water depth of 115 feet and 27 shoreline miles.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Water stopped flowing over the spillway by mid-afternoon Saturday.
Because of flood debris, the LCRA on Saturday was urging the public to avoid boating or swimming in the Highland Lakes.
—Powered By, Austin American Statesman, 7 July 2025
There, it was successfully utilized to help spawning American shad and blueback herring bypass a spillway located between Lake Marion and the Santee River.
—New Atlas, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spillway
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Adrian Rodriguez, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
When full, at 315 feet above sea level at the spillway, Lake Hodges has 1,234 surface acres, a maximum water depth of 115 feet and 27 shoreline miles.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Water stopped flowing over the spillway by mid-afternoon Saturday.
Because of flood debris, the LCRA on Saturday was urging the public to avoid boating or swimming in the Highland Lakes.
—Powered By, Austin American Statesman, 7 July 2025
There, it was successfully utilized to help spawning American shad and blueback herring bypass a spillway located between Lake Marion and the Santee River.
—New Atlas, 12 May 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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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