hydraulic fracturing
noun
: fracking
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
Jerry Taylor and Peter Van DorenExamples of hydraulic fracturing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Starting around 2005, companies began to unlock massive new supplies of natural gas, and then oil, from shale basins, thanks to two new technologies: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (or fracking).
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
By 2015, natural gas had become the state’s largest source of electricity, a result of the nationwide boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which unleashed a wave of cheap, plentiful gas.
—Nadja Popovich, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Kamala Harris’ Evolving Climate Positions In 2016, California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris sued the Obama administration over permitting hydraulic fracturing.
—Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
The area is known for fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, a process that injects water at high pressure into the ground to extract oil.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hydraulic fracturing 
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.
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
By 2015, natural gas had become the state’s largest source of electricity, a result of the nationwide boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which unleashed a wave of cheap, plentiful gas.
—Nadja Popovich, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Kamala Harris’ Evolving Climate Positions In 2016, California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris sued the Obama administration over permitting hydraulic fracturing.
—Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
The area is known for fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, a process that injects water at high pressure into the ground to extract oil.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hydraulic fracturing
Dictionary Entries Near hydraulic fracturing
Cite this Entry
“Hydraulic fracturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydraulic%20fracturing. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share