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Glite Dictionary
to spill out

to spill out

26 3.6
Move out of a place suddenly in large numbers or fall out of a container and spread
  • phrasal verb
  • /spɪl aʊt/
translation icon : salir
  • Total strangers calling doctors on television programs and spilling out the most intimate secrets of their souls.
  • spill out onto the street

Arms have spilled out of Libya, helping destabilize the region.

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Examples

  • I mean, to the point, yeah, the whole changing area was full and people were spilling out onto the heath behind.

    Rich Roll

  • Will the violence continue to spill out onto the street?

    The Green Hornet (2011)

  • Loud music and laughter spill out of the room at the end of the hall.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • At lunchtime on any given day, hungry tourists spill out onto the streets.

  • Eventually, people have to queue, spilling out onto the street.

    Academic text (2008)

  • A gaggle of kids in their early teens spilled out of the back seat.

    Academic text (1995)

  • At the end of the concert, excited fans spilled out of the stadium, celebrating in the streets.

  • When the doors opened, hundreds of children spilled out of the school, eager to head home.

  • After the meeting, employees began to spill out of the conference room, chatting about the presentation.

Synonyms

to come out
vsto spill out
526 2.3

To appear or become visible, for example when the sun shines through clouds

focuses on sudden mass movement out of a place rather than appearance
to emerge
vsto spill out
249 3.5

To come out from behind or under something and become visible

refers to sudden movement or large numbers leaving rather than visibility
to pour
vsto spill out
162 1.5

Many people or animals move somewhere quickly in a steady stream

happens suddenly rather than as a steady stream
to gush
vsto spill out
26 3.2

To flow out suddenly and forcefully, like blood from a wound

is sudden like this but usually applies to people or crowds
to pour out
vsto spill out
18 2.9

Move out of a building in large numbers

is sudden and often happens all at once
to flow out
vsto spill out
16 2.9

Move or pour out in a steady stream, often a liquid

describes sudden mass movement rather than steady liquid flow
to pour out of
vsto spill out
12 3.7

To leave a place quickly in large numbers

is similar but stresses movement from a place specifically
to egress
vsto spill out
  • Formal
1 8.9

To leave a place by going out

is less formal and stresses sudden mass movement and quantity

Antonyms

to contain
388 3.5

To keep something dangerous from spreading or getting worse

to keep in
105 3.0

To make someone stay indoors because of bad weather, illness, or punishment

How Many

to flood in
8 3.1
to pour out
18 2.9
to spill out
26 3.6
to flow out
16 2.9
to trickle
70 3.4

Surface Forms

spill out infinitive
spilled out past
spilled out past participle
spilling out present participle
spills out third person singular

Morphology

spill + out

The meaning 'to flow or move out of a place' is directly derivable from combining 'spill' (to flow or overflow) with 'out' (to the outside); the verb+particle composition transparently signals movement outward. Although 'spill' often refers to liquids, the motion/flow sense readily extends to people or things, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb spill out comes from the image of a tipped container: when a cup or bag falls, its liquid or small items spill out and rush everywhere. That's why we use spill out to say people or things 'flow or move out suddenly and in large numbers'.