refuel

verb

re·​fu·​el (ˌ)rē-ˈfyü(-ə)l How to pronounce refuel (audio)
refueled; refueling; refuels

transitive verb

: to provide with additional fuel

intransitive verb

: to take on additional fuel

Examples of refuel in a Sentence

The crew refueled the airplane. The airplane landed to refuel.
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.
The Boeing 777-200ER returned to the gate around three hours later to refuel, according to several reports. — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 But commercial vehicles are lagging behind, in part because of the lack of charging and refueling networks on long-haul truck routes. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026 Augmented with a robotic arm, an RPO satellite could grab another spacecraft to refuel it or adjust its orbit—or even to push it out of orbit entirely. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026 While spacecraft-to-spacecraft cryogenic refuelling is yet to be achieved, the ability to refuel storable chemical propellant is still a game-changer. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refuel

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of refuel was in 1811

Rhymes for refuel

See All Rhymes for refuel

Browse Nearby Words

reft
refuel
refuge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refuel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refuel. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

refuel

verb
re·​fu·​el (ˈ)rē-ˈfyü-əl How to pronounce refuel (audio)
: to provide with or take on more fuel
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