as in painting
a picture created with oil paint
that artist is known to have created only oils and charcoal sketches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
1
as in slicked
having or being a surface so smooth as to greatly reduce traction
following the fuel spill, the resulting oiled stretch of roadway had to be closed to traffic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fried
slang
being under the influence of alcohol
Casino operators like to keep their guests oiled and willing to part with their money.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in greased
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.
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Recent Examples of oil
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Trained initially as an economist, Salgado spent much of his long career documenting the effects of heavy industry on the environment, from a monograph on gold mining in his native Brazil to a book on oil fires in Kuwait.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
Mecca Pryor, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
To oil this customer engagement machine, Amazon introduced Prime.
—Christian Stadler, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Julia O'Malley, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Jan. 2023
Using oiled spoon, quickly spread brittle into thin, even layer, then sprinkle with salt.
—Woman's Day, 15 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for oil
Noun
Estonia said that a Russian military jet violated its airspace on May 13 after the Estonian Navy tried to stop the tanker Jaguar, believed to be in Moscow's shadow fleet that circumvents oil sanctions.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Trained initially as an economist, Salgado spent much of his long career documenting the effects of heavy industry on the environment, from a monograph on gold mining in his native Brazil to a book on oil fires in Kuwait.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
Verb
Her glowing and freshly oiled skin effortlessly catches the light, playing off her lacquered purple lips and vivid green eyelids for a look that’s equal parts daring and divine.
—Mecca Pryor, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
To oil this customer engagement machine, Amazon introduced Prime.
—Christian Stadler, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Sprinkle the oiled area generously with salt and pepper.
—Julia O'Malley, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Jan. 2023
Using oiled spoon, quickly spread brittle into thin, even layer, then sprinkle with salt.
—Woman's Day, 15 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for oil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oil
Noun
-
Viewers who know af Klint for her iconic mystical paintings will discover a different dimension of her practice.—
Shauna Lyon,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
-
The production marks the first revival of the play, written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, which follows three longtime friends who launch into a debate about art after one of them purchases a large, expensive and completely white painting.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
In one particularly frantic game, Tottenham Hotspur’s collective head was so fried that keeper Heurelho Gomes accidentally knocked out his team-mate, Alan Hutton, in trying to deal with an aerial ball.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Try making fried rice Umami’s still a new concept for many cooks.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Later Piero Della Francesco, worked on canvas drawing a classical space, in which standing figures seem to hover.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
22 May 2025
-
That’s partially due to outside social forces that demand their love be kept private, behind closed doors or the canvases of a tent, but Hermanus and Shattuck aren’t interested in piling on that context, which has already been explored in so many other movies more directly.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
But even with slick hair and unpredictable speech patterns, Max Zorin is no match for James Bond.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
-
Early in the process, their characters find themselves being pursued through London at high speeds by cop cars, with Krasinski behind the wheel of a slick Shelby Cobra.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Wah’s grandfather told officers that Wah had drunk alcohol earlier that morning at the apartment.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
16 May 2025
-
Read faces charges of second-degree murder, drunk driving manslaughter and fleeing a deadly accident in O'Keefe's death.—
Michael Ruiz , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
The death of a local woman leads Honey down a slippery path involving religious cults, megalomaniacal pastors and an unexpected romance.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
-
Salamanders live in moist environments to keep their smooth, slippery skin wet in order to breathe, according to the Texas Wildlife Association.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
When driving on wet roads, don’t try to overcorrect when steering, officials warned, KTRK reported.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
-
Remember that a tent offers no protection against lightning. Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Prosecutors say the 45-year-old Massachusetts woman struck O’Keefe with her car in a fit of drunken rage and left him to die outside the home of another Boston cop during a massive snowstorm in January 2022.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
-
Some were inflicted on drunken patients who slipped on the ice.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oil. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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