fu·el
| \ ˈfyü(-ə)l
\
\
Definition of fuel
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a material used to produce heat or power by burning
b
: nutritive material
c
: a material from which atomic energy can be liberated especially in a reactor
2
: a source of sustenance or incentive : reinforcement
fuel
verb
fueled
or fuelled;
fueling
or fuelling
Definition of fuel (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to provide with fuel
: to take in fuel
—often used with up
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Examples of fuel in a Sentence
Noun
I had the fuel pump replaced on my car. These latest scandals will provide further fuel for his political opponents. These latest accusations will only add fuel to the controversy. The controversy continues to rage, and these latest accusations will only add fuel to the fire.Verb
The airplanes were fueled in midair. The criticism she has faced has only fueled her determination to succeed. Inflation was fueled by high prices. The strong economy has fueled the construction of new homes.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
That problem mostly ended when the plant switched to natural gas as its primary fuel in the 1980s. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Man pushes preservation of 400-foot-tall coastal smokestack," 8 Sep. 2019 As the year progressed, Zimbabweans grew increasingly angry at daily power outages, water cuts and fuel shortages as well as tightening restrictions on rights and freedoms. — New York Times, "A Music Genre Grows in Zimbabwe, Fueled by Rage Against Authority," 7 Sep. 2019 The extra day of rest before their season openers should have these two squads well prepared and the energy of the crowd will help fuel both Super Bowl contenders. — Esten Mclaren, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints odds, picks and best bets," 6 Sep. 2019 Every time a gun, a round of ammo, a rod, a reel, a box of tackle or small motorboat fuel is purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes to support state wildlife and habitat conservation. — David L. Bernhardt, Twin Cities, "Interior Secretary: Here’s how we’re expanding hunting, fishing opportunities in Minnesota," 6 Sep. 2019 Some of that funding had been approved by Congress to pay for an $8 million rifle range and $2.5 million in fuel facility upgrades, both from Kingsley Field, a National Guard base in Klamath Falls. — oregonlive, "Senators condemn Trump decision to divert Klamath Falls military project money to border wall," 5 Sep. 2019 When disease epidemics after European colonization wiped out as much as 95 percent of the Amazon’s indigenous inhabitants, the frequent, low-intensity burning stopped—and as the undergrowth returned, fuel loads increased. — Kate Evans, National Geographic, "Ancient farmers burned the Amazon, but today's fires are very different," 5 Sep. 2019 American households have again taken on large debt loads to fuel consumption, with consumer debt hitting $13.9 trillion in the spring, more than a trillion dollars above the prior peak, reached just before the 2008 financial crisis. — Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, "American consumers are holding up the global economy. But for how long?," 17 Aug. 2019 American households have again taken on large debt loads to fuel consumption, with consumer debt hitting $13.9 trillion in the spring, more than a trillion dollars above the prior peak, reached just before the 2008 financial crisis. — Anchorage Daily News, "U.S. consumers are holding up global economy, but for how long?," 17 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Unexpectedly, wonderfully, fueled by his new friends in the stands, Medvedev got some traction. — Los Angeles Times, "The Sports Report: Everything on course for a Rams-Chargers Super Bowl (too soon?)," 9 Sep. 2019 Jack's career spanned the golden age of science, characterized by an explosive growth in the number of scientists at work and fueled by a seemingly unlimited expansion in the level of government funding. — courant.com, "John J. Hinchen," 8 Sep. 2019 The idea of collecting data from sensors, processing them with algorithms fuelled by ever-more processing power and acting on the output more quickly than the enemy lies at the heart of military thinking across the world’s biggest powers. — The Economist, "Artificial intelligence is changing every aspect of war," 7 Sep. 2019 Nader believes that clown phobias are fueled by the fact that clowns wear makeup and disguises that hide their true identities and feelings. — Frank T. Mcandrew, Quartzy, "The psychology behind why we find clowns so creepy," 6 Sep. 2019 Tony Jebara joined the streaming music service Spotify last month as vice president of engineering for personalization to help improve Spotify's recommendations to users and other features fueled by A.I. and machine learning. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Spotify Nabs Top A.I. Expert From Netflix," 6 Sep. 2019 Nader believes that clown phobias are fueled by the fact that clowns wear makeup and disguises that hide their true identities and feelings. — Frank T. Mcandrew, CNN, "Why clowns like Pennywise from 'IT Chapter 2' give us the creeps," 6 Sep. 2019 Deana Baez heard the same rumor, fueled by family members and friends who attended Roger Williams in the past. — Dan Mcgowan, BostonGlobe.com, "Their middle school has a bad reputation. But these Providence students are trying to change that.," 6 Sep. 2019 These incidents are outliers, likely fueled by the sense of freedom from norms that can be created on a ship at sea and the free-flowing liquor on board. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "Cruise Ship Etiquette Tips: A Primer For Before You Sail," 4 Sep. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fuel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for fuel
fuel
noun
English Language Learners Definition of fuel
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a material (such as coal, oil, or gas) that is burned to produce heat or power
: something that gives support or strength to something (such as argument or angry feelings)
fuel
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of fuel (Entry 2 of 2)
: to supply (something) with fuel
: to take in fuel
: to give support or strength to (something)
See the full definition for fuel in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fuel
noun
fu·el
| \ ˈfyü-əl
\
\
Kids Definition of fuel
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a substance (as oil or gasoline) that can be burned to produce heat or power
fuel
verb
fueled
or fuelled;
fueling
or fuelling
Kids Definition of fuel (Entry 2 of 2)