Synonyms of lubricate

lubricate

verb

ˈlü-brə-ˌkāt 

as in to grease

to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction

used a petroleum based machine oil to lubricate the gears

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grease
• oil
• wax
• slick
• wash
• wet
• soak
• bathe
• water
• douse
• drench
• souse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rough
• roughen
• dry
• coarsen
• dehydrate
• sear
• parch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lubricate

The lubricating substance allows snails to stick to the ground more easily and travel more smoothly. — Laura Dorwart, Health, 22 July 2026

Nose grease is the perfect fire starter Is there enough oil on the side of your nose to lubricate the top of a bow-drill spindle? — Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026

Or Gaudette represents the brave, bold, knock-you-on-your-backside future of filmmaking in a much worse way, in which time, money, actors or anything human the process might lubricate or use as lubricant has quietly slipped away. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026

Specifically, these plummeting estrogen levels impair your body's baseline production of natural hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin, the building blocks that keep your skin bouncy, plump, and lubricated. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 May 2026