spill over
Britishverb
noun
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the act of spilling over
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the excess part of something
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economics any indirect effect of public expenditure
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astronomy the part of the noise associated with a radio telescope using a dish antenna caused by pick-up by a secondary antenna from directions that do not intercept the dish
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.
Plus, the destruction of the environment causes viruses to spill over from animal hosts into us.
From Salon • May 11, 2026
The International Court of Justice in The Hague is holding a week of hearings between the two countries over the row that has at times threatened to spill over into military action.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
Toxic waste inundated homes and fields in a spill over a year ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
And its benefits often spill over to other companies, meaning the full value may not be captured by the company that invested in research.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
If I talk about it, these tears will spill over.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
