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 and Michael Stern
Jane and Michael Sterncalled 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
The Economistcalled also special sauce
Examples of secret sauce in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
TikTok's algorithm, the secret sauce of the app, is owned by ByteDance.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 20 Apr. 2024
Then, there’s the issue of TikTok’s algorithm, the app’s secret sauce that recommends videos to users.
—Mary Clare Jalonick and Haleluya Hadero, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
Creating delicious yet unpretentious restaurants is their secret sauce (well, that and a mean marinara), and San Sabino is no exception.
—Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
Relatability is the secret sauce that makes an influencer feel like a friend.
—Helen Barreto, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Cohen has declined numerous interview requests to discuss the specifics of the DeBoer hire, including one from the Hotline, so her secret sauce remains hidden from public consumption.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2024
The right blend of storytelling, crystal-clear data representation and visual allure can form the secret sauce to make your pitch deck irresistible and convince investors.
—Yec, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
The egg melts into the pretzel bun, and there’s a secret sauce that goes with that.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
Jones still makes his father’s secret sauce, and Marci makes some of her own recipes for dessert, including chocolate cakes made with hot coffee and cinnamon, fresh banana pudding, peach cobbler and buttermilk pie.
—Jenny Rudolph, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 20 Apr. 2024
Then, there’s the issue of TikTok’s algorithm, the app’s secret sauce that recommends videos to users.
—Mary Clare Jalonick and Haleluya Hadero, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
Creating delicious yet unpretentious restaurants is their secret sauce (well, that and a mean marinara), and San Sabino is no exception.
—Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
Relatability is the secret sauce that makes an influencer feel like a friend.
—Helen Barreto, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Cohen has declined numerous interview requests to discuss the specifics of the DeBoer hire, including one from the Hotline, so her secret sauce remains hidden from public consumption.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2024
The right blend of storytelling, crystal-clear data representation and visual allure can form the secret sauce to make your pitch deck irresistible and convince investors.
—Yec, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
The egg melts into the pretzel bun, and there’s a secret sauce that goes with that.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
Jones still makes his father’s secret sauce, and Marci makes some of her own recipes for dessert, including chocolate cakes made with hot coffee and cinnamon, fresh banana pudding, peach cobbler and buttermilk pie.
—Jenny Rudolph, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secret sauce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Secret sauce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secret%20sauce. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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