spill
verb (used with object)
to cause or allow to run or fall from a container, especially accidentally or wastefully.
had been spilling
-
past perfect progressiveof spill.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to NRC reports analyzed by Amos, an average of 14 gallons per day had been spilling from that rig for several months, says Amos.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 21, 2011
The landholders were not forbidden to return if they renounced their old errors and acknowledged the justice of the cause for which the blacks had been spilling their blood for twelve years.
From The West Indies and the Spanish Main by Rodway, James
