: 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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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
Then, in the early 2010s, fracking and horizontal drilling technology unlocked the deposits hiding in the shale bed and unleashed vast wealth that went beyond the county residents’ wildest dreams.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
The New Shape of the Curve Year-to-date production growth for 2025 marks a noticeable deceleration compared to the peak shale boom years, when annual growth often ran in the double digits.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shale
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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
Then, in the early 2010s, fracking and horizontal drilling technology unlocked the deposits hiding in the shale bed and unleashed vast wealth that went beyond the county residents’ wildest dreams.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
The New Shape of the Curve Year-to-date production growth for 2025 marks a noticeable deceleration compared to the peak shale boom years, when annual growth often ran in the double digits.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 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 26 Nov. 2025.
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