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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
Tommy spent the first go-around reconnecting with his ex-wife Angela (Ali Larter) and daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph), in addition to helping out his son Cooper (Jacob Lofland) in the oil business. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2025 Toss the mushrooms with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on a baking sheet. Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
And Anderson, working with the cinematographer Michael Bauman, has devised a visual style that’s mesmerizing in its flow, with lavishly detailed images oiled with a dark ’70s grunge. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025 When making thin-crust pizzas, avoid oiling or greasing the pan; instead, sprinkle some cornmeal or semolina to prevent sticking. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oil
Noun
  • With an absence of primary source footage or even photographs, The American Revolution relies heavily on familiar Burnsian tracking shots and zooms on paintings.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The daughter of Veronica Hearst, one of her era’s most stylish society swans, she was raised in a lavish Fifth Avenue apartment designed by Renzo Mongiardino featuring columns, tapestries, and Old Master paintings.
    Derek Blasberg, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining batter.
    Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Take the talks on full-year appropriations bills, which could grease the Senate floor for a compromise three-bill package with the House and potentially another package of funding bills.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Participants can sculpt with air-dry clay, paint on canvas, or craft a collage or mixed-media piece such as a design vision board.
    Staff Author, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Yet those soldiers and sailors had to stretch across a vast global canvas, leaving fewer than three in ten of them to try to rout the insurgents in North America.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oil. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

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