1 B1 neutral
to fall or flow out of a container or space accidentally or in large amounts
"The papers spilled out of the folder onto the floor."
inseparable
spill out
B1 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
to flow, fall, or come out of a place in an uncontrolled way
In plain English
to come out suddenly or in large amounts
What does "spill out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
to come out from a place in large numbers and with little order
"Fans spilled out of the stadium after the match."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
to be expressed suddenly and freely, especially words or emotions
"The apology spilled out before she had time to think."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to spill from inside to outside
Actually means
to come out suddenly or in large amounts
Usage tip
Used both literally for liquids or objects and figuratively for people, words, or emotions coming out suddenly.
Words that pair with "spill out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd people words bag contents street
How to conjugate "spill out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
spill out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
spills out
he/she/it
Past simple
spilled out
yesterday
Past participle
spilled out
have + pp
-ing form
spilling out
continuous
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