oil well

noun

: a well from which petroleum is obtained

Examples of oil well 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.
In recent years, lawmakers, environmentalists, consumer advocates and California’s former top insurance regulator have pressed insurers to divest from fossil fuel companies and phase out writing coverage for oil wells, coal mines and other extraction projects. Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025 The driller responsible for it, Patton Exploration, solicited companies to extend a pipeline to the oil well to capture the gas and evaluated whether the gas could be used to mine bitcoin. ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025 For China, Venezuela is a political project more than merely an oil well. Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 His administration is also proposing to temporarily streamline approvals of new oil wells in existing oil fields in an effort to maintain a stable fuel supply. Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oil well

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oil well was in 1847

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oil well.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oil%20well. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

oil well

noun
: a well from which petroleum is obtained

More from Merriam-Webster on oil well

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!