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🌊 To overflow 🏙️ People moving out 💧 Too much liquid
to overspill

to overspill

1 4.9
To flow over the edge of a container or limit
  • verb
  • /ˌoʊvərˈspɪl/
  • UK
translation icon : desbordar

Examples

  • Now the only problem is, is you can see here there's overspill as you put this in and out and in and out.

  • He painted the edges and sides of the canvas slate blue, removed the tape, then painted the reserve in a cadmium red that unevenly overspills the blue.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The rain caused the river to overspill, flooding nearby fields.

  • After pouring the coffee, a little bit began to overspill from the cup onto the saucer.

  • The child accidentally allowed the juice to overspill from his glass while reaching for a cookie.

Synonyms

to well over
vsto overspill
22 4.4

To rise and flow out like tears or strong feelings

is broader, applying to ordinary physical excess as well
to spill over
vsto overspill
16 4.2

To move beyond the edge of a container or place

is the general idea of flowing past an edge from excess
to run over
vsto overspill
5 3.2

A liquid flows over the top of its container

covers that movement but applies to many excess situations
to overrun
vsto overspill
4 5.3

Go past a limit or planned time

is narrower, referring specifically to liquid or physical flow
to boil over
vsto overspill
4 2.4

Hot liquid gets too high and spills out of its container

is more general, not tied to heating or boiling causes
to overfill
vsto overspill
3 3.9

To put too much into something so it spills out

focuses on the result of excess rather than the past-edge flow
to overtop
vsto overspill
1 4.8

To flow over the top of something like a wall or river bank

is the general term for any flow past an edge
to brim over
vsto overspill
3.6

To flow over the edge when a container or feeling is too full

is more general, not limited to fullness causing the flow
to overbrim
vsto overspill
7.8

To be or make something so full that it spills over the edge

is broader and not only about becoming overly full
to overboil
vsto overspill
5.4

To make a boiling liquid rise and spill over a pot

is the broader term for flowing past an edge from excess

Antonyms

to contain
388 3.5

To keep something dangerous from spreading or getting worse

to bound
11 5.3

To form the edge or limit of an area

How Much

to overspill
  • UK
1 4.9
to leak
212 1.0

Surface Forms

overspill infinitive
overspilled past
overspilled past participle
overspilling present participle
overspills third person singular

Morphology

overspill = spill (transparent) = over + spill

The verb meaning 'to flow or spill over' is the straightforward combination of 'over-' and 'spill'.

Etymology

Overspill as a verb is built from over- 'too much' and spill 'to flow out', so to overspill is to go or flow past an edge because there is too much. That's why we say water, objects, or even excitement can overspill into another place.