refuel

verb

re·​fu·​el (ˌ)rē-ˈfyü(-ə)l 

refueled; refueling; refuels

transitive verb

: to provide with additional fuel

intransitive verb

: to take on additional fuel

Examples of refuel in a Sentence

The crew refueled the airplane.

The airplane landed to refuel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Spring for a scrub and a massage for extra relaxation, and unwind in the lounge afterward for snacks and tea to refuel before jumping back into activities like birdwatching, kayaking, and lawn games. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

That dispute dominated Saab’s first prosecution after his June 2020 arrest in Cape Verde, where his plane had stopped to refuel while traveling to Iran. — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Dozens of aircraft have been damaged or destroyed, including four F-15E fighter jets, an F-35A, seven KC-135 refueling aircraft, seven helicopters and more than 30 drones. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Westinghouse also says the reactor could deliver electricity continuously for eight years without refueling. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for refuel

• cruel
• dual
• duel
• fuel
• gruel
• jewel
• newel
• accrual
• nonfuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual

Kids Definition

refuel

verb

re·​fu·​el (ˈ)rē-ˈfyü-əl 

: to provide with or take on more fuel