secret sauce

noun

1

: a sauce that adds an important element to a dish and that has ingredients which are typically kept secret

A frank of beef, pork, and veal … is split lengthwise, coated with secret sauce, and cooked on a grill.

—Jane Stern and Michael Stern

called also special sauce

2

: an element, quality, ability, or practice that makes something or someone successful or distinctive

If leadership has a secret sauce, it may well be humility. A humble boss understands that there are things he doesn't know.

—The Economist

called also special sauce

Examples of secret sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Knowing that raising good humans is still part of the secret sauce to success means that in the end, the kids are going to be alright. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 23 Feb. 2026

Kate Weizman, the Atelier’s chief marketing officer, calls Gucci herself the brand’s secret sauce. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026

Look, a lot of it is in the secret sauce of the business. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026

Duff’s palpable relatability and everygirl energy has always been her secret sauce. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for secret sauce

• albatross
• applesauce
• barabbas
• helios
• kshatriyas
• across
• backcross
• crisscross
• lacrosse
• recross
• tomas
• blas