How to Use static electricity in a Sentence

static electricity

noun
Definition of static electricitynext
  • In dry weather, static electricity can cause clothes to cling.
  • Sure enough, when the kite was in the sky, static electricity moved down the wet string as far as the key—but not through the silk ribbon to his body.
    — Timothy J. Jorgensen, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2021
  • What to do: Blow up the balloon and have your kid rub it against the wool or their hair to build up static electricity.
    — Rebecca Renner, National Geographic, 10 June 2020
  • Aluminum sheets were placed in the front and rear wheel wells that are meant to remove static electricity from the bumper.
    — Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 21 June 2023
  • When the opposing charges switch places, static electricity is released and gives birth to the flash of blue seen above the clouds.
    — Popular Science, 26 Jan. 2021
  • The very dry air (dew points in the single digits) doesn’t help either, and there is sure to be lots of static electricity in the air tonight.
    — Greg Porter, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2018
  • The cool air in a freezer helps eliminate some of the static electricity that makes the plastic wrap stick to itself.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2024
  • Think headache, lethargy, and the feeling as if your brain has been replaced by static electricity.
    — Alisa Bowman, Discover Magazine, 22 Dec. 2022
  • The fibers are then charged by passing them through a device that produces static electricity.
    — USA Today, 7 Jan. 2022
  • Dew points may get very dry, into the 30s, producing some small static electricity again or even some dry skin.
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 17 June 2022
  • As the satellite orbited Earth, the objects inside were in a state of constant free fall, but static electricity worked to hold them still.
    — Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2022
  • One key to harvesting the ocean’s clean energy—at least a little of it—may lie in static electricity.
    — Maddie Bender, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2021
  • Due to their size and lack of static electricity, the gems do not stick to the dirt, but are more easily identified following a heavy rain storm and sunshine.
    — Eric Todisco, PEOPLE.com, 30 July 2019
  • Buildings were burned after being struck by lightning from static electricity in the ash cloud, which reached the stratosphere.
    — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 28 May 2018
  • In the dry desert environment, wind moving over dirt and sand particles can be enough to build up a cache of static electricity.
    — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, 20 June 2016
  • It is said that static electricity follows the path of least resistance.
    — Andy Saunders, Discover Magazine, 21 July 2021
  • The marvel of static electricity once seemed a promising way forward in the great electrification of the world.
    — Stephen Ornes, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2019
  • But my best guess now is somewhat like static electricity.
    — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 May 2019
  • If that's a static electricity interaction, how did the sock get charged?
    — Rhett Allain, Wired, 28 Jan. 2022
  • Vapors from butane can release gas clouds, and a mere spark of static electricity can set off a fiery explosion.
    — Priscella Vega, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2022
  • The pre-fall collisions, the researchers found, built up static electricity between the beads—a lot like the forces that keep living room dust bunnies together.
    — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 12 Dec. 2019
  • The friction created by breaking up the beans generates static electricity that makes the coffee clump together and stick to the grinder.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Dec. 2023
  • The cause of the explosion was never established but was thought to a spark from machinery or static electricity igniting a buildup of grain dust.
    — Drew Broach, NOLA.com, 1 May 2018
  • Amber is the fossilized resin of prehistoric trees; when rubbed, it becomes charged with static electricity.
    — The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2021
  • That’s sort of what’s happening with the balloon and wool: Rubbing the balloon builds up a negative charge, which creates static electricity.
    — Rebecca Renner, National Geographic, 10 June 2020
  • In order to tame the static electricity, moisture is needed to weigh down the hair and diminish the charge, which is why Ellis suggests grabbing a leave-in cream, hairspray, or dry shampoo.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Feb. 2023
  • One cause is static electricity from particles rubbing together in dense ash clouds near the ground.
    — Fox News, 13 Aug. 2019
  • Promises of static electricity charging devices have often been, well, so much hot, sandy wind.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2020
  • Most experts believe the Hindenburg tragedy likely hinged on fires sparked by static electricity.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2024
  • Lines of ten vast coolers in each hall keep them at a constant 24°C, and maintain no lower than 40% humidity (low humidity allows static electricity to build up).
    — The Week Uk, theweek, 8 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'static electricity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: