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
Synonyms
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
Krystal Hur, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The new software will trigger a dashboard warning light and Ford will extend warranty coverage for the defective fuel injectors, so owners will be able to get free replacements.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Other times the crew fails to properly maintain its onboard processing system and dirty fuel gets into the engine.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Also, buying alcohol, cigarettes, fuel and online purchases aren’t allowed.
—Thomas Kutty Abraham / Bloomberg, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
The Pinole City Council last week unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on new fuel stations that also limits expansion of existing ones as part of an effort to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions to at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
The Gas Guru app can search for gas stations by price, fuel grade and distance, as well as show prices in your area.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Electric vehicles have far fewer parts than gasoline cars — no radiators, exhaust pipes, fuel tanks, fan belts or complicated gearboxes.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The lion’s share of this year’s $14.2 billion in state transportation funding comes from state fuel taxes, including the .57 cents that California drivers pay per gallon of gasoline.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel during the summer of 2024.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The country’s small local gangs have become multimillion-dollar criminal enterprises fueled by the rising global demand for cocaine.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Still, Perego lands other meaningful points about the rampant xenophobia that fuels the immigration discourse.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Hellyer adds the current situation between Israel and Hamas could just fuel the radicalization.
—NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Ford’s latest plans are further fueling those concerns.
—Esha Dey, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The new travel center also boasts 120 fueling positions.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
Those feelings fuel their commitment to helping others within their own spaces.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
Energy stocks often do well when the economy is strong, since there’s more energy demand to fuel goods- and services production.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The new software will trigger a dashboard warning light and Ford will extend warranty coverage for the defective fuel injectors, so owners will be able to get free replacements.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Other times the crew fails to properly maintain its onboard processing system and dirty fuel gets into the engine.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Also, buying alcohol, cigarettes, fuel and online purchases aren’t allowed.
—Thomas Kutty Abraham / Bloomberg, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
The Pinole City Council last week unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on new fuel stations that also limits expansion of existing ones as part of an effort to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions to at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
The Gas Guru app can search for gas stations by price, fuel grade and distance, as well as show prices in your area.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Electric vehicles have far fewer parts than gasoline cars — no radiators, exhaust pipes, fuel tanks, fan belts or complicated gearboxes.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The lion’s share of this year’s $14.2 billion in state transportation funding comes from state fuel taxes, including the .57 cents that California drivers pay per gallon of gasoline.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
New York collected four consecutive singles and was fueled by clutch two-out hitting.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel during the summer of 2024.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The country’s small local gangs have become multimillion-dollar criminal enterprises fueled by the rising global demand for cocaine.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Still, Perego lands other meaningful points about the rampant xenophobia that fuels the immigration discourse.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Hellyer adds the current situation between Israel and Hamas could just fuel the radicalization.
—NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Ford’s latest plans are further fueling those concerns.
—Esha Dey, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The new travel center also boasts 120 fueling positions.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
Those feelings fuel their commitment to helping others within their own spaces.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fuel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fuel
Cite this Entry
“Fuel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuel. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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