fuel

noun, often attributive fu·el \ ˈfyü(-ə)l \

Definition of fuel

1 a :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

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See fuel defined for kids

Examples of fuel in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of fuel from the Web

The loss of refineries around Port Arthur, Texas, would leave only Louisiana refineries supplying fuel to New York and other demand centers.

— brian k sullivan, Bloomberg.com, "Texas Refiners Spared by Harvey Brace for Storm's Second Round," 29 Aug. 2017
The Farm house of the Joe Nagy family, residing on the old George Knopf farm east of this city, was considerably damaged by fire Sunday evening, when a distillate fuel burning stove exploded.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point Star Newspaper Almanac," 28 Aug. 2017
Prehm said the immediate need for people will be for toiletries, laundry soap, tents and air mattresses, as well as money to cover the cost of fuel for the truck.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Naperville woman seeks truck, driver to haul disaster relief to Texas," 28 Aug. 2017
This guy was selling food to his own soldiers, stealing fuel.

— pamela constable, Washington Post, "‘I believe in the Afghan people,’ says top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan," 26 Aug. 2017
The plants bound for worldwide drug markets not only fuel corruption but funds insurgent operations.

— andrew degrandpre and alex horton, chicagotribune.com, "Ghost schools and goats: 16 years of U.S. taxpayer waste in Afghanistan," 22 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, other airport revenues — parking fees, concessions, fuel charges and the rest of the passenger facility charges — would pay for operations and maintenance of the terminal.

— steve vockrodt, kansascity, "Burns & McDonnell’s KCI proposal: Quick construction leads to big savings," 14 Aug. 2017
White supremacy can and will flourish when given fuel; white-supremacist rhetoric will tend towards violence; and it’s often only in the rear-view mirror that Americans can clearly see the events that lead to that violence spreading.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "When Does a Fringe Movement Stop Being Fringe?," 12 Aug. 2017
Americans would continue to consume too much fuel and electricity per person, but lower numbers would mean less strain on our resources.

— t.a. frank, The Hive, "The Democratic Case for Restricting Immigration," 9 Aug. 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of fuel

Middle English fewel, from Anglo-French fuail, feuaile, from Vulgar Latin *focalia, from Latin focus hearth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

fuel Synonyms

Synonyms

energy, power

Related Words

kindling, propellant (also propellent); force

Other Energy Engineering Terms

fusion, scram

fuel

verb

Definition of fuel

fueled or fuelled; fueling or fuelling

transitive verb

1 :to provide with fuel

2 :support, stimulate

movement is fueled by massive grants-in-aid
—Allen Schick

intransitive verb

:to take in fuel —often used with up

See fuel defined for English-language learners

Examples of fuel in a Sentence

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 of fuel from the Web

SANAA, Yemen — Yemen’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has not left his Sanaa home for nearly a week, fueling speculation that his rebel allies have effectively placed him under house arrest, officials said Tuesday.

— Washington Post, "Yemeni officials say ex-president may be under house arrest," 29 Aug. 2017
Fueled in part by ethnic tensions between Sinhalese and Tamil citizens, an insurgency against the government was led by a group called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

— peter prengaman, The Seattle Times, "War crimes suits against Sri Lankan ambassador in Brazil," 28 Aug. 2017
The Pantego Lions Club will host a Pancake Breakfast on Aug. 26 to fuel up busy folks heading out for a day filled with sports events and kids’ activities along with the usual errands.

— faye reeder, star-telegram, "Pantego Lions Club Pancake Breakfast benefits local causes," 16 Aug. 2017
The confederate flag and representations of the Confederacy have been used as a symbol to fuel the Alt Right and White Nationalist movement.

— alyssa hardy, Teen Vogue, "Vic Mensa Defends Confederate Flag Jacket, and People Aren't Having It," 14 Aug. 2017
Temperatures are melting at the Arctic and Antarctic poles twice as fast as anywhere else, fueling fears of a feedback loop due to fast-melting ice caps.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "President Trump Should Be Afraid of This Climate Change Report," 8 Aug. 2017
Markel Jones fueled the rally with a leadoff triple to the gap in right-center field.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "IronBirds find win column with Sunday walk-off over Brooklyn," 31 July 2017
Fuel economy estimates are 18 mpg city, 25 highway and 20 mpg combined for front-wheel drive (17/23/19 mpg AWD) on 87 octane.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 VW Atlas V6 SE Tech: An encouraging sign of American design," 21 July 2017
The Grove is awash in a sea of red and blue tents, hung with chandeliers, and filled with elegant linens, fine food, and a jovial spirit, fueled by plenty of booze.

— anne roderique-jones, Vogue, "From Football to Fine Dining, a Guide to Oxford, Mississippi," 20 July 2017

First Known Use of fuel

1592

FUEL Defined for English Language Learners

fuel

noun

Definition of fuel for English Language Learners

: 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)