as in paintings
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 greases
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 oils
Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Artisan oils bring home the gold Four companies specializing in high-quality oils earned more Good Food Awards this year after having had repeat wins in previous years.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The all-wood holistic spa experience is unique, a mix of slather-and-scrub treatments with colored clay, mineral salts, and fragrant herbal oils.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Count on the strong aromatic oils of oregano (Origanum vulgare) to naturally repel aphids, spider mites, thrips, and beetles around your pepper plants.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026
Cyklar’s scents are great for layering whether that be with its other perfume oils or body care products.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 3 June 2026
The permethrin binds to the oils in the mice’s fur, which will kill any ticks that try to attach, all without harming the mice.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
In terms of hair health, skipping regular trims might mean more breakage that even the best hair oils and serums won’t be able to fix.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 30 May 2026
Chevron aims to churn out the specific base oils from its Pascagoula, Mississippi refinery, which would come online at the end of this year or early 2027.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
Those nutrients often come from fresh and diverse fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy oils.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Artisan oils bring home the gold Four companies specializing in high-quality oils earned more Good Food Awards this year after having had repeat wins in previous years.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The all-wood holistic spa experience is unique, a mix of slather-and-scrub treatments with colored clay, mineral salts, and fragrant herbal oils.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Count on the strong aromatic oils of oregano (Origanum vulgare) to naturally repel aphids, spider mites, thrips, and beetles around your pepper plants.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026
Cyklar’s scents are great for layering whether that be with its other perfume oils or body care products.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 3 June 2026
The permethrin binds to the oils in the mice’s fur, which will kill any ticks that try to attach, all without harming the mice.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
In terms of hair health, skipping regular trims might mean more breakage that even the best hair oils and serums won’t be able to fix.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 30 May 2026
Chevron aims to churn out the specific base oils from its Pascagoula, Mississippi refinery, which would come online at the end of this year or early 2027.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verb
Ramakrishnan typically oils her hair twice a week before washing it.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oils
Noun
-
Creatives love staying at this boutique property, where murals cover the walls, the rooms feature one-of-a-kind paintings and the Musicians in Residence program brings artists like Thievery Corporation, Rufus du Sol and Khruangbin to the hotel.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
-
Founded in 1964 by the city of Miami Beach, the Bass began with the collection of John Bass, president of Puerto Rico’s Fajardo Sugar Company, and his wife Johanna, some 500 works spanning Old Master paintings, textiles, and sculptures.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
No eyeball-grabbing videos, no partisan commentary or agenda, and none of the edge or snark that greases the gears of the perpetual-political-outrage machine.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Recently, though, those humble paddles have become more akin to canvases.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
23 May 2026
-
Brush in hand, she is dwarfed by huge canvases within the paintings on which bare-breasted figures are in the process of emerging—a waiflike handmaiden hard at work at the feet of her American Helens of Troy.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oils. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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