petrodollar
noun
pet·ro·dol·lar
ˈpe-trō-ˌdä-lər 
: a dollar's worth of foreign exchange obtained by a petroleum-exporting country through sales abroad
—usually used in plural
Examples of petrodollar in a Sentence
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Machado’s strategy could appear to have been a devil’s bargain—tempting Trump with the prospect of petrodollars in exchange for ousting Maduro, her nemesis.
—
The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
In the early years of his tenure, a massive windfall in petrodollars thanks to record-high global oil prices turned PDVSA into the main source of government revenue and the backbone of Venezuela’s economy.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The nation’s top basketball programs have already shown a desperate willingness to chase petrodollars in November at the expense of tradition and the tropics.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2025
Trump looks at the Saudi crown prince and sees a high net-worth individual who could throw a gargantuan amount of petrodollars into the American economy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
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The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
In the early years of his tenure, a massive windfall in petrodollars thanks to record-high global oil prices turned PDVSA into the main source of government revenue and the backbone of Venezuela’s economy.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The nation’s top basketball programs have already shown a desperate willingness to chase petrodollars in November at the expense of tradition and the tropics.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2025
Trump looks at the Saudi crown prince and sees a high net-worth individual who could throw a gargantuan amount of petrodollars into the American economy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petrodollar
Cite this Entry
“Petrodollar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrodollar. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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