fossil fuels
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All fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide when burned. (See greenhouse effect.)
Burning fossil fuels is a main cause of air pollution.
All of these fuels were formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
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.
Renewables have played a role, as energy sources such as solar and wind lose less energy to heat than burning fossil fuels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
Steyer, 68, made his fortune founding a hedge fund that included investments in fossil fuels, private prisons and other businesses that are controversial among Democrats.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
But for electrification to drive down heat-trapping emissions and tackle climate change, the extra electricity must come primarily from renewable sources -- rather than fossil fuels.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
In simple terms, electrification means replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly -- such as gas heating systems and diesel vehicles -- with electric alternatives.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
The principal energy sources of our present industrial civilization are the so-called fossil fuels.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
