hydraulic fracturing

noun

: fracking
… hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a process used to extract oil and natural gas from bedrock.—Maggie Astor
The gas-fired plants come courtesy of the revolution in hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), which has delivered a vast supply of low-cost natural gas to an electricity market that has struggled with steadily rising coal prices since 2001.—Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren

Examples of hydraulic fracturing 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.
But with the rapid expansion of a new type of hydraulic fracturing, natural gas became a cheap and stable source for power generation. — Hannah Wiseman, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025 In this way, hydraulic fracturing threw a wrench into the prospects for clean coal technology like IGCC. — David Wagman, IEEE Spectrum, 30 June 2017 Then horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing unlocked enormous new supplies. — Dan Eberhart, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 At the time the preemption law passed, several local governments were considering restrictions on hydraulic fracturing amid a wave of earthquakes caused by oil and gas injection. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hydraulic fracturing

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1948

Rhymes for hydraulic fracturing

See All Rhymes for hydraulic fracturing

Browse Nearby Words

hydraulic fluid
hydraulic fracturing
hydraulic gradient
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hydraulic fracturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydraulic%20fracturing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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