as in painting
a picture created with oil paint
that artist is known to have created only oils and charcoal sketches
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of oil
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Ukrainian drones have hit the oil refinery and export terminal in Tuapse on four occasions in just over two weeks, sparking fires that prompted local evacuations and sent up massive plumes of smoke.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Routine Maintenance for Your Butcher Block Keeping butcher block properly oiled is one of the best ways to protect it from wear and bacteria.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oil
Noun
Peach leaf curl causes stone fruit leaves to curl and pucker, even on trees sprayed with fungicide and horticultural oil last winter.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Ukrainian drones have hit the oil refinery and export terminal in Tuapse on four occasions in just over two weeks, sparking fires that prompted local evacuations and sent up massive plumes of smoke.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Verb
If your tofu sticks, the pan likely wasn’t hot enough (or oiled enough).
—Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Routine Maintenance for Your Butcher Block Keeping butcher block properly oiled is one of the best ways to protect it from wear and bacteria.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oil
Noun
-
As the women sat on a silk fabric sofa, the wall behind them showcased a painting of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, painted by Ferdinand Richardt in 1858.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The painting, a collaboration between the Glenview Art League, residents and Chicago artist Anne Farley Gaines, depicts a bridge on the North Branch of the Chicago River and will run parallel to the river.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lightly grease 2 baking sheets; arrange knots 2 inches apart on baking sheets.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Apr. 2026
-
View this post on Instagram Access greases the gears of the entire apparatus by creating its own positive feedback loop, like an ouroboros of exclusivity.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cole’s canvases were synthetic constructions teeming with homilies.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
As the water evaporates, the artwork disappears, leaving a blank canvas ready for next time.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oil. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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