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
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Recent Examples of oils
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 30 May 2026
Those aisles typically included a limited selection of international products, often offering primarily sauces or oils.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 29 May 2026
There are also plenty of oils (specifically, avocado, macadamia, and almond) to help prime the skin for a close, comfortable shave, free of irritation.
—Eden Stuart, Allure, 29 May 2026
Moringa seed and marula oils smooth frizz and prevent breakage for stronger, denser strands.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, Glamour, 29 May 2026
Another 30% is shipped from South Korea, but Korean imports also are at risk because Korea largely refines its base oils with crude oil from the Middle East.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Do not use soaps with synthetic ingredients, such as common dish soap, to clean your bird bath, as the chemicals can strip the oils off the bird's feathers.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
These oils are excellent sources of omega-3 (ALA), but high heat can break ALA down.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 29 May 2026
Add ingredients, stir briefly to integrate them together and garnish with a large grapefruit peel, expressing the oils over the top of the drink before adding the peel to the glass.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 23 May 2026
Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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
Those aisles typically included a limited selection of international products, often offering primarily sauces or oils.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 29 May 2026
There are also plenty of oils (specifically, avocado, macadamia, and almond) to help prime the skin for a close, comfortable shave, free of irritation.
—Eden Stuart, Allure, 29 May 2026
Moringa seed and marula oils smooth frizz and prevent breakage for stronger, denser strands.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, Glamour, 29 May 2026
Another 30% is shipped from South Korea, but Korean imports also are at risk because Korea largely refines its base oils with crude oil from the Middle East.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Do not use soaps with synthetic ingredients, such as common dish soap, to clean your bird bath, as the chemicals can strip the oils off the bird's feathers.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
These oils are excellent sources of omega-3 (ALA), but high heat can break ALA down.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 29 May 2026
Add ingredients, stir briefly to integrate them together and garnish with a large grapefruit peel, expressing the oils over the top of the drink before adding the peel to the glass.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 23 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 5 Jun. 2026.
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