A waiting tension like water just before it spills over the edge.

The tension spilled out of all of us.

With no one clearly in charge, tensions between the two have often spilled into the open.

A fear persisted in both countries, and others hosting sizable Iraqi refugee populations, that sectarian tensions would spill over amongst the exiles.

The tensions over conversion have spilled into several court cases.

Shortly after Lynch's election victory, tensions in Northern Ireland finally spilled over and "the troubles" began.

The tensions spilled out of the courtroom to the street in front of Federal District Court in Brooklyn as Mr. Louima's supporters heckled the officers, yelling, "Torturers!"

The ASEAN ten must now deal with internal tensions, especially when such tensions spill over to contaminate relations with the EU.

By 1996, tensions from the neighboring Rwandan civil war and genocide had spilled over to Zaire (see History of Rwanda).

The orchestra can play spectacularly for him, but the musicians are split over his leadership, and the tension spills into their playing, which may veer from routine to overwrought.