as in soapy
overly or insincerely flattering
an executive who surrounds herself with oily, sycophantic assistants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oily
Key Takeaways Eating leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, berries, legumes, oily fish, and more may lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
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Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
16 June 2026
Sunscreen also becomes less effective in high temperatures, and the ingredients may separate and leak, causing an oily mess.
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Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
My once desert-dry skin suddenly became more oily, especially in the T-zone.
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Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
11 June 2026
These are wines that pair beautifully with rich dishes, oily, unctuous fish with tomato, and pasta sauces that are rich and fatty.
—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
16 June 2026
Sunscreen also becomes less effective in high temperatures, and the ingredients may separate and leak, causing an oily mess.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
My once desert-dry skin suddenly became more oily, especially in the T-zone.
—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
11 June 2026
These are wines that pair beautifully with rich dishes, oily, unctuous fish with tomato, and pasta sauces that are rich and fatty.
—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
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Follow by wiping the backsplash with warm, soapy water to remove any residue.
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Wash surfaces with warm, soapy water before sanitizing them with a solution mix of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one gallon of water.
Adjective
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Toxic fumes are leaking into airplanes and sickening passengers and crew members at an alarming rate, according to a September 2025 report by The Wall Street Journal.
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The concept of this many women vying for West is somewhat sickening to me.
Adjective
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His widow doesn’t exactly look too broken up; less than a week after his death, Lee spots her snuggling with Dale’s brother Donald, an oleaginous candidate for governor played by Kyle MacLachlan.
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One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.
Adjective
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The unctuous and sweet char siu pork jowl is interspersed with green apple pressed with lime and ginger for a bright and crisp counter to the fatty pig.
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Made with the unctuous 8-percent-fat milk of the water buffalo—animals that may have arrived in the area via the Normans by way of Sicily, or perhaps by the Goths coming from Central Asia—buffalo mozzarella has been produced at least since the twelfth century.
Adjective
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Except for the unfettered devotion in the latter is replaced by swooping strings and a gushy chorus that merely offer an antiseptic veneer.
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The announcement may come as a shock for country fans who have followed the couple through their sappy podcast appearances and gushy acceptance speeches.
Adjective
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Though mighty hagiographic, McPhee’s ability to break down a player’s gifts makes a poetic case for the game.
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While these celebrity docs are hagiographic and formulaic, the interviews with Nadal and family and rivals like Federer and Novak Djokovic do push beyond the surface.
Adjective
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The living room, with abundant west-facing windows brings in soft, bright light.
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Vulnerability management is still essential, but in a world where discovery is abundant, organizations need to rethink what security maturity actually looks like.
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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