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oil

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verb

as in to grease
to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction if you oil the machinery on a regular basis, it will operate more efficiently

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of oil
Noun
At the same time, oil prices have remained the same on the year. Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025 Of course, the hydration is phenomenal, too, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid providing long-lasting moisture, passionflower seed oil to soothe stressed skin, and bacuri butter that replenishes the skin barrier by restoring essential fatty and amino acids. Alexandra Folino, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
Lightly oil your knife or coat with nonstick spray and cut the caramel into 1 inch squares. Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025 The spray-on scent has a skin-softening base of sweet almond, macadamia, argan, and apricot kernel oils. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for oil 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oil
Noun
  • Catherine’s collection soon ballooned as the empress amassed 4,000 paintings, 38,000 books, 10,000 engraved gems, 10,000 drawings, and 16,000 coins and medals.
    Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
  • But the transcendence never quite ports over to his paintings of this era.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Unsalted butter: Butter greases the dish but melted butter infuses the custard mixture with some more flavor and succulent flavor.
    Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Last Sunday, Philly built corrals around poles in Center City, instead of greasing them, the Inquirer reports.
    Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The seal said the canvas came from a shop that supplied artists in Montmartre in the early 1900s, but there were no clues about who made the painting.
    The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 6 Feb. 2025
  • The first patch that fell off had been on my butt, one of three permissible canvases for estradiol patches, the other two being abdomen and thigh.
    Nell Beram, Allure, 5 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near oil

Cite this Entry

“Oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oil. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

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