fracking

noun

frack·​ing ˈfra-kiŋ How to pronounce fracking (audio)
: the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure in order to free up petroleum resources (such as oil or natural gas)
frack verb

Did you know?

Hydraulic fracturing is a technique in which a liquid is injected under high pressure into a well in order to create tiny fissures in the rock deep beneath the earth which then allow gas and oil to flow into the well. The term "hydraulic fracturing" is first known to have appeared in print in a 1948 issue of Oil & Gas Journal. A 1953 issue of the same journal also contains the earliest known print use of "fracking." The word fracking (sometimes spelled fraccing or fracing, particularly by those in the gas and oil industries) was created by shortening "fracturing." The addition of the "k" brings the word into conformity with the inflected forms of similar English words ending in a vowel plus "c," such as shellacking, panicking, and frolicking.

Examples of fracking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During the early 2000s, the development of fracking, a technology for cracking shale rock layers thousands of feet underground to obtain natural gas and oil, led to a boom in low-cost oil and natural gas. Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2025 Technological shifts like fracking, geopolitical decisions by OPEC+, weather disruptions, and global demand trends shape oil markets far more decisively than executive orders or campaign slogans. Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 In 2021, the Legislature forced out Public Counsel J.R. Kelly, a sharp critic of utility overreach who blocked an effort to make Floridians pay for FPL’s Oklahoma fracking venture. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025 America gained energy independence through innovations in shale and fracking. Steve Booren, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fracking

Word History

Etymology

by shortening & alteration from (hydraulic) fracturing

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fracking was in 1953

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Cite this Entry

“Fracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fracking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

fracking

noun
frack·​ing
ˈfra-kiŋ
: the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure in order to free up petroleum resources (as oil or natural gas)
frack
ˈfrak
verb
Etymology

from (hydraulic) fracturing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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