oil spill
noun
an accidental release of oil into a body of water, as from a tanker, offshore drilling rig, or underwater pipeline, often presenting a hazard to marine life and the environment.
oil spills
-
pluralof oil spill.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
“California’s beaches, coastal communities, and multi-billion-dollar economy depend on oceans free of oil spills, both now and for future generations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
"Even relatively small oil spills can persist in marine sediments for years, compromising the ecological resilience of this protected marine ecosystem."
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Fire whirls burn through crude oil spills nearly twice as fast as in-situ fire pools, potentially giving cleanup crews faster operational and response times to eliminating the oils from spreading," Oran said.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
One of the internal documents obtained by the BBC is a previously confidential form from 2012 - at the height of the alleged Bille oil spills.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
An unknown quantity is lost in oil spills and leakage.
From Russian Roulette: Russia's Economy in Putin's Era by Samuel Vaknin
