often attributive
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
fueled or fuelled; fueling or fuelling
1
: to provide with fuel
: to take in fuel
—often used with up
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
CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
The plane had hundreds of thousands of pounds of fuel on board to travel all the way to Honolulu, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said in the press conference.
—Michele Luhn, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
The investigation and subsequent arrest of the soldiers fueled an intense political backlash, with some right-wing members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition even joining protests and riots outside the Sde Teiman facility and the military court where the soldiers were taken.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fuel
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Noun
The Paris Agreement temperature goals were based on scientific assessments of how each increment of global warming fuels worse heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.
—CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
The plane had hundreds of thousands of pounds of fuel on board to travel all the way to Honolulu, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said in the press conference.
—Michele Luhn, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
OpenAI and Amazon announced Monday that the former will pay the latter $38 billion over seven years for computing capacity to fuel its AI dreams.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
The investigation and subsequent arrest of the soldiers fueled an intense political backlash, with some right-wing members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition even joining protests and riots outside the Sde Teiman facility and the military court where the soldiers were taken.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fuel
Cite this Entry
“Fuel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuel. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fuel
1 of 2 noun
fu·el
ˈfyü(-ə)l 
1
a
: a material used to produce heat or power by burning
b
: a material from which atomic energy can be produced especially in a reactor
2
: a source of energy
fuel
2 of 2 verb
fueled or fuelled; fueling or fuelling
: to supply with or take in fuel
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