I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
an oil spill (= situation in which oil comes out of a ship or other container into the sea )
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a terrible oil spill near the Shetland Islands
spill coffee
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He’d accidentally spilt coffee over the table.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
down
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He wanted to smooth the web of hair that spilled down her back springing alive from the bones of her head.
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With his hand on his heart and tears spilling down his cheeks, Charles Prince pledged his allegiance to the flag.
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The whole mountain chain originated from this cleft as lava surged up and spilled down on both sides.
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Browns and beiges can be really nasty, they always look like soup has been spilled down them.
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The bones splintered under the force of the blow and blood spilled down his chin and the front of his jacket.
on
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They filled the aisle around the coffin and spilled on to the altar itself.
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There is now more traffic than ever on the route and any hold-ups will spill on to the surrounding routes.
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The amber liquid shook in the glass and some of it spilled on to the tan cloth of her Burberry.
out
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When we spilled out into the street a few minutes later, it was in a kind of glow.
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When forced to disclose the contents, roses spilled out on to the floor.
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The facts, which spilled out in no particular order, revealed the flip side of the fairytale.
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Miguel wanted to trust Firebug; he came close to letting everything spill out .
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Explain that the marbles have taken the place of the water that has spilled out .
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Time and time again the global oceans overflowed their basins and spilled out on to all of the continents.
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The flesh of his thighs, straining against the khaki underpants, spilled out over the sides.
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The questions spilled out of her.
over
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He reckons it will disappear by the end of 1993, so increased demand will then spill over into higher prices.
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When you permit these legitimate concerns to spill over into your work performance, your career often suffers.
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Arguments started outside the congregation may spill over into it.
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The prosperity is spilling over into other businesses, too.
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The potential for the fighting to spill over into a wider regional conflict has triggered a flurry of diplomatic activity.
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Its strength spilled over into dollar-yen trading, traders said.
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They have also developed additives which prevent the fuel from frothing so that it no longer spills over your shoes every time you fill-up.
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Love and joy seemed to explode inside her, threatening to spill over into cries of happiness.
■ NOUN
bean
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He gave me a look which made me wonder whether Mavis hadn't, after all, spilled the beans .
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Ludicrously, advance accounts of this novel are cheerfully spilling the beans about the rest of the plot.
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They spill the beans , exposing the practice for what it is.
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He had not been on the verge of spilling the beans - people just die, that's all.
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Come off it, Rosie, spill the beans .
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Come on, spill the beans .
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She might just decide to kill you, in case you spill the beans .
blood
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But referee Ed Morrison's leniency led to bad blood spilling over in a six-man brawl as Richards looked for revenge.
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In another moment, blood is being spilled on the corporate carpets as a ticket manager named Andrew Follon is fired.
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Pivoting on the slow death fulcrum, he felt the hot sting of his own blood spilling from him.
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Battles fought, blood spilled , over-theory.
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Within the first three minutes both men were sweating profusely, and no blood was spilled .
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A lot of blood gets spilled on the floors of writers.
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The bones splintered under the force of the blow and blood spilled down his chin and the front of his jacket.
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The blood spilled on to the earth under the tree.
contents
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An aftershave bottle spilled its contents and Scott inhaled the aroma momentarily before stepping back.
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Two more had burst - spilling their deadly contents .
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It struck his arm and fell to the floor, spilling out its dark contents .
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Liza laughed so much she rolled off the bed on to the chamber pot, spilling its contents on the floor.
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They toppled over the chain holding them in place, spilling themselves and their contents into the road.
drop
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It was great fun and they worked so carefully they didn't spill one single drop of sponge mixture.
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Interpet's clever device lets you change water without spilling a drop - we use one in the office.
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His paw landed in the ashtray, knocking it out of my hand and spilling the few precious drops I had caught.
floor
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He gulps down the food real quick, spilling bits on to the floor .
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When forced to disclose the contents, roses spilled out on to the floor .
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Some were open to reveal rolls of parchment spilling out on to the floor .
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A lot of blood gets spilled on the floors of writers.
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Quite a bit had spilled over the floor already so nobody would notice any more.
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She dodged to the sideboard and picked up a decanter by the neck, spilling sherry on to the floor .
gut
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Amid all the purple, there was cardinal and gold, spilling from guts and pouring from hearts.
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Albert let Rob run on till he spilled his guts , but Loulse probed.
light
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He glanced back up at the house, where warm orange light spilled out from the dining room into the grey afternoon.
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The brilliant yellow stain of kerosene light spilled itself out on the snow.
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Blue-green light spilled out from the mews's open door.
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Home was in Peckham, in the shabby house whose light spilled each evening out on to the street.
oil
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More than 72,000 tonnes of crude oil spilled into the estuary after the tanker ran aground in 1996.
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Most of the oil spilled is not from those dramatic spills.
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No one was injured and no oil was spilled during the incident, he said.
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Millions of gallons of crude oil spilled into the sea, causing widespread shore damage as well.
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Q.. The oil man spilled heating oil on light-gray semitransparent stained clapboards.
street
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When we spilled out into the street a few minutes later, it was in a kind of glow.
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The gate opened and dressed-up children spilled into the street , bright beads from a broken string.
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The buildings were tenements, normally crowded with people, many of whom were at this moment spilled along the street .
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Cadets in gray raincoats crushed against the iron gates and spilled into the street to cheer Buchanan.
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Then, to sober up, we'd spill out on to the streets and do the street-lamps until dawn.
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The night of their first opening, the crowd spilled out on to the street , holding wine in plastic glasses.
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Ulster protestantism is not contained within churches but spills out on to the streets .
tear
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With his hand on his heart and tears spilling down his cheeks, Charles Prince pledged his allegiance to the flag.
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Once again tears spilled from his eyes.
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My tears spill out, I am powerless to stop them.
water
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Drop a couple of marbles into the cup and watch the water spill over.
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His patronage comes from boiling water spilled on his stomach as a final torture for his unyielding faith before being beheaded.
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Explain that the marbles have taken the place of the water that has spilled out.
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Interpet's clever device lets you change water without spilling a drop - we use one in the office.
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Have them drop water on the penny until the water spills off.
■ VERB
let
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She can tell this is just harassment, and she lets him spill his speech.
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You let her spill that boiling water all over herself.
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And slowly he let his sorrows spill .
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Miguel wanted to trust Firebug; he came close to letting everything spill out.
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I let the coins spill into my palm and tossed a handful of them at the open safe.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
thrills and spills
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Around fifteen thousand spectators came to watch the thrills and spills ... for the organisers it proved another successful Classic.
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But they appreciated that getting wet was all part of the thrills and spills.
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The audience would love the thrills and spills with the added spice of danger.
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There were plenty of thrills and spills as the first round of the East Senior knockout cup got under way.
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This provides a safe and sheltered location in which groups of all ages can experience the thrills and spills of watersports.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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"How was the party?" "OK, but some idiot spilled wine all over my new dress."
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A tanker has run aground, spilling 60,000 gallons of oil into the sea.
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Aaron spilled all the popcorn on the floor.
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Careful - you'll spill it!
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I almost spilled my coffee.
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Oops, I just spilled my water.
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Someone had spilled red wine all over the carpet.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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I had to handle it carefully to keep from spilling it on myself.
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People spill back across the empty space of moonlight, and the dancers' faces merge with the crowd.
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Q.. The oil man spilled heating oil on light-gray semitransparent stained clapboards.
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Such conflicts spilled over into the immediate postwar phase.
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There are also times when we allow conflicts away from work to spill over into the workplace and harm our careers.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
oil
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Television, oil spills and dying animals make a strong political brew.
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Tanker and barge owners have a financial incentive to avoid oil spills , too.
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It was like cleaning up after an oil spill .
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People have a lot to complain about. Oil spills have sullied thousands of acres.
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Look in your school library for information about that or other oil spills .
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Entire coastal bays and lagoons along the coast have been fouled by oil spills and the runoff of toxic chemicals.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
cry over spilt milk
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It is now too late to cry over spilt milk.
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It was disappointing, to say the least, but there's no point crying over spilt milk.
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Nora Simpson didn't believe in crying over spilt milk.
thrills and spills
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Around fifteen thousand spectators came to watch the thrills and spills ... for the organisers it proved another successful Classic.
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But they appreciated that getting wet was all part of the thrills and spills.
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The audience would love the thrills and spills with the added spice of danger.
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There were plenty of thrills and spills as the first round of the East Senior knockout cup got under way.
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This provides a safe and sheltered location in which groups of all ages can experience the thrills and spills of watersports.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Although the spill is the largest single oil accident in the Gulf, the waters are no strangers to pollution.
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But it needs constant care and attention, and spills show up on it very easily.
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Much use will be made of the full-cut-off lanterns, which reduce the minimum spill of light outside the highway boundaries.
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The Gulf spill first appeared as a slick in a satellite photograph taken at the end of March.
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This will facilitate the removal of surplus glue or spills.
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Two-person teams used to inspect fire systems and respond to spills and other emergencies in three 8-hour shifts per day.