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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

Examples 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
Expecting Beijing to take extreme measures, such as suspending oil supplies or humanitarian aid to North Korea, is unrealistic. Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024 Companies that abide by the limits earn credits, and companies that don’t — like oil refineries — must buy credits from those that do. Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
Wipe down all surfaces of the mower, and oil the wheels if necessary. Michelle Ullman, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024 For two blissful hours, I was scrubbed, oiled, wrapped and massaged until my skin was as soft as a baby’s and my mind was the best kind of mush. Lois Alter Mark, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for oil 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oil
Noun
  • The painting of irises above the fireplace is by Reiss, and the hanging spherical light fixture is a Moooi knockoff.
    Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 19 Nov. 2024
  • Its music videos, which had heretofore been so art-school obscure that MTV barely played them, were now high-budget fantasias with Stipe front and center, undulating like a Robert Longo painting come to life.
    Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Olive oil: For greasing the pot and keeping the onion from sticking before adding the beef.
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2024
  • In reality, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, Tal greased an employee from Griffin’s office to get the boss’s number, then called him incessantly.
    James D. Walsh, Curbed, 12 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Election certification is the final administrative step in the process after the earlier canvas and audits identify and resolve irregularities.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
  • Summer 2025 will be dedicated to visionary British sculptor Barbara Hepworth, while summer 2026 will welcome the bright canvases of American modernist Ellsworth Kelly.
    Alexandra Zagalsky, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near oil

Cite this Entry

“Oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oil. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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