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
David Faris, TheWeek, 12 June 2026
Dawn dish soap is typically a great option that can lift sweat and oils without damaging the material.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Severe outbreaks can be managed using insecticidal oils or soaps.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
For edible oils, the inflation rate is 266 percent; for meat and chicken, 169 percent; and for eggs and dairy products, 161 percent.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Margarine’s fatty acids are mainly unsaturated, from blended plant oils.
—Rosemary Trout, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
Fresh herb oils often call for more steps, including blanching, drying and blending.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 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
Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
From scented shampoos festooned with exotic oils to anti-aging creams and blemish-removers, those who can afford them seem to have a bottomless appetite for new products.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 12 June 2026
Dawn dish soap is typically a great option that can lift sweat and oils without damaging the material.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Severe outbreaks can be managed using insecticidal oils or soaps.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
For edible oils, the inflation rate is 266 percent; for meat and chicken, 169 percent; and for eggs and dairy products, 161 percent.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Margarine’s fatty acids are mainly unsaturated, from blended plant oils.
—Rosemary Trout, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
Fresh herb oils often call for more steps, including blanching, drying and blending.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 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
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
-
The striped abstract paintings throughout the installation are based on polo shirts worn by Cuban state security agents who blend into crowds during protests, while gladiolus flowers reference the Ladies in White dissident movement.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Both paintings had been a part of the hotel for more than a century.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 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
-
The Locke works are placed directly above and below a small Albers; inches away from each are examples of minerals, in their own display cases, which, jutting out from the wall, distract lamentably from the canvases.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
-
VanEmburgh has been painting for five years and mainly works with acrylics on larger canvases, normally 40 inches by 70 or 80 inches and paints in several layers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oils. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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