: a fissile rock that is formed by the consolidation of clay, mud, or silt, has a finely stratified or laminated structure, and is composed of minerals essentially unaltered since deposition
Examples of shale in a Sentence
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Brandywine Falls, a spectacle that sends water soaring down 60 feet of shale and sandstone, is arguably the park’s most popular attraction.
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Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
Except for some small regions near the Mississippi River, Eau Claire shale is considerably thick – more than 300 feet (90 meters) – throughout most of the Illinois basin.
—Ramesh Agarwal, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025
Fossil fuel production from this enormous shale deposit has boomed over the past decade, putting it on track to produce more than a million barrels a day by 2030, analysts predict.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Oil market dynamics have opened a window for OPEC+ to claw back market share lost to US shale, investors and experts said on the sidelines of a Gulf energy conference, with expectations growing that the group will increase supply despite short-term price pressure.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
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Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
Except for some small regions near the Mississippi River, Eau Claire shale is considerably thick – more than 300 feet (90 meters) – throughout most of the Illinois basin.
—Ramesh Agarwal, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025
Fossil fuel production from this enormous shale deposit has boomed over the past decade, putting it on track to produce more than a million barrels a day by 2030, analysts predict.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Oil market dynamics have opened a window for OPEC+ to claw back market share lost to US shale, investors and experts said on the sidelines of a Gulf energy conference, with expectations growing that the group will increase supply despite short-term price pressure.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shale
Cite this Entry
“Shale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shale. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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