as in soapy
overly or insincerely flattering
an executive who surrounds herself with oily, sycophantic assistants
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oily
Oily Foods Fatty and oily foods can speed up the breakdown of plastic.
—
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
While other balms may produce an oily texture and finish, It Cosmetics’ does not.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 15 Jan. 2026
Skin1004 Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum Say goodbye to the oily feel and white casts of sunscreen.
—Katrina Cossey, Parents, 15 Jan. 2026
The serum’s texture is smooth and easily glides onto the skin, without leaving an oily residue.
—Michelle Baricevic, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
While other balms may produce an oily texture and finish, It Cosmetics’ does not.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 15 Jan. 2026
Skin1004 Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum Say goodbye to the oily feel and white casts of sunscreen.
—Katrina Cossey, Parents, 15 Jan. 2026
The serum’s texture is smooth and easily glides onto the skin, without leaving an oily residue.
—Michelle Baricevic, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
-
Clean the door thoroughly with hot, soapy water to remove grease and grime.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
-
All that’s required is hot, soapy water and a sponge.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
But Pretti’s last seconds were captured from multiple angles, in sickening footage widely distributed on social media and by news organizations.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
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.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
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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.—
David Owen,
The New Yorker,
27 July 2024
Adjective
-
Some bars are dry on the tongue, others are unctuous.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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Field peas, red rice and the best part — oxtail — cooked down, down and down again into a warm, unctuous delight.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Social Security Administration sent a gushy, questionable email July 4 to millions of people collecting Social Security benefits and others.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
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The chatter has only grown in recent days, after Ms. Anderson — who just celebrated a birthday — posted a story on her Instagram account, showing a lavish bouquet of flowers and a gushy card from an admirer.—
Jesse McKinley,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Of course, a person making a hagiographic documentary about the production of the show for Netflix probably isn’t the world’s most neutral source.—
Sharon Adarlo,
Futurism,
14 Jan. 2026
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In a way, then, a documentary like Angus Wall’s Being Eddie, a generally amiable and adulatory 90 minutes streaming on Netflix, fails; with its softly hagiographic approach, the director never pushes Eddie Murphy to any place that feels untapped or confrontational, and therefore newsworthy.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This popular usage makes abundant sense.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The weavers replaced by textile mills saw their craft vanish, but clothing became cheaper and more abundant.—
Zack Kass,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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