: 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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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.
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Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
For many years, the lake level was maintained at 290 feet, which is about 40% capacity, 25 feet below the spillway level of 315 feet.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for spillway
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Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
For many years, the lake level was maintained at 290 feet, which is about 40% capacity, 25 feet below the spillway level of 315 feet.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for spillway
Cite this Entry
“Spillway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spillway. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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spillway
noun
spill·way
ˈspil-ˌwā 
: a passage for extra water to run over or around a dam
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