afterburner

noun af·ter·burn·er \ -ˌbər-nər \

Definition of afterburner

1 : a device incorporated into the tailpipe of a turbojet engine for injecting fuel into the hot exhaust gases and burning it to provide extra thrust

2 : a device for burning or catalytically destroying unburned or partially burned carbon compounds in exhaust (as from an automobile)

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Recent Examples of afterburner from the Web

Indeed, its characteristics including the ability to cruise at Mach 1.5 without afterburners, a high degree of stealth, and advanced weapons and avionics went on to define the entire category.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "At 20 Years Old, the F-22 is Still King of the Skies," 7 Sep. 2017
The Hawkeyes are capable of grinding Penn State into a tense, low-scoring affair, but the Nittany Lions’ offense will turn the afterburners on in the fourth quarter.

— the si staff, SI.com, "Week 4 College Football Picks: Will Any Top-10 Teams Fall?," 21 Sep. 2017
Strong-armed, accurate and blessed with an afterburner-like burst, Maiava is a transcendent talent working at a distinct disadvantage at Kahuku, which has no history of grooming great passers.

— austin murphy, SI.com, "It's an Island Ting: Kahuku High in Oahu Churns Out NFL Studs Like Schools in Florida and Texas," 25 Oct. 2017
Virginia entered the game as 13.5-point underdogs, according to OddsShark, but Bronco Mendenhall’s team turned on the afterburners in the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points after Boise State cut the deficit to seven just before the break.

— eric single, SI.com, "Virginia Just Handed Boise State Its Worst Home Loss Since 2001," 24 Sep. 2017
Weigand slammed on his brakes and then fired the afterburner.

— carl prine, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Once enemies, American and Vietnamese aviators meet to talk about their dogfights," 21 Sep. 2017
FILE-- In this Dec. 2001 file photograph, an F-16 takes off with afterburners glowing loaded with live Sidewinder missiles from the Air National Guard base in South Burlington, Vt.

— Washington Post, "More delays for low-flying fighters over western Maine," 19 Aug. 2017
The outfielder turned on the afterburners, covering 40 or 50 feet in the span of a few seconds before leaping, planting a foot in the wall and reaching out with his glove to make a basket catch.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Reds recap: For Sal Romano, it was bad, but it could have been worse," 8 Aug. 2017
Nearing the conclusion of 12½ grueling laps at Hayward Field, the 20-year-old hit the afterburners and took the lead on the final straightaway, then held off his closest threat by 0.38 seconds.

— vytas mazeika, The Mercury News, "Fisher earns Stanford’s first NCAA men’s outdoor title since 2012," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'afterburner.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.