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hydraulic fracturing

American

noun

a process in which fractures in rocks below the earth's surface are opened and widened by injecting chemicals and liquids at high pressure: used especially to extract natural gas or oil.

Etymology

Origin of hydraulic fracturing

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

hydraulic fracturing

The process of hydraulic fracturing ekes out oil from older wells, and involves cracking the bedrock several thousand feet below the seafloor by injecting chemical fluids with intense pressure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Much of that growth came from unconventional drilling, including hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling from geologic formations such as shale rock.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 16, 2026

The company, which uses hydraulic fracturing technology to tap the earth’s heat, now has larger projects in the works, including one in Utah that is slated to start producing power this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

New technologies such as hydraulic fracturing have turned it from major importer to exporter.

From Barron's ● Jan. 6, 2026

That brackish water is a crucial component in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and advanced drilling techniques that have helped turn New Mexico into the No. 2 oil production state in the U.S.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023