afterburner
noun
af·ter·burn·er
ˈaf-tər-ˌbər-nər 
1
: a device incorporated into the tailpipe of a turbojet engine for injecting fuel into the hot exhaust gases and burning it to provide extra thrust
2
: a device for burning or catalytically destroying unburned or partially burned carbon compounds in exhaust (as from an automobile)
Examples of afterburner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alvarado began their move in the far turn, threading up through the six-horse field until the top of the stretch, and then turned on the afterburners in the last couple of furlongs to sail past the front of the pack.
—
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Yet even without afterburners, supercruise comes with its own challenges.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
But the biggest changes can be found at the back of the car, where the rear end has been outfitted with a pair of vertical stabilizers and a set of faux afterburners and missiles.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
Boom says its Symphony turbofan engine will be quieter than Concorde’s deafening afterburners were.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afterburner
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.
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Yet even without afterburners, supercruise comes with its own challenges.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
But the biggest changes can be found at the back of the car, where the rear end has been outfitted with a pair of vertical stabilizers and a set of faux afterburners and missiles.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
Boom says its Symphony turbofan engine will be quieter than Concorde’s deafening afterburners were.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afterburner
Cite this Entry
“Afterburner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterburner. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
afterburner
noun
af·ter·burn·er
-ˌbər-nər
: a burner attached to the tail pipe of a turbojet engine for forcing fuel into the hot exhaust gases and burning it to provide extra forward push
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share