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
Damage-resistant hair that is oily and straight can be washed every day.
—
ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
So far, local and state officials have collected 24 bins of oily debris from the pipeline rupture, with each bin able to hold up to 20 cubic yards.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Green tea is another classic, offering antioxidant and calming benefits, especially for reactive or oily scalps.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 24 Feb. 2026
Herring Herring are small, oily fish that are similar to sardines.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
So far, local and state officials have collected 24 bins of oily debris from the pipeline rupture, with each bin able to hold up to 20 cubic yards.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Green tea is another classic, offering antioxidant and calming benefits, especially for reactive or oily scalps.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 24 Feb. 2026
Herring Herring are small, oily fish that are similar to sardines.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
-
For heavy buildup, simply hold a warm, soapy cloth on the spot for 30 seconds and then wipe.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
-
On asphalt, a stiff broom paired with warm, soapy water can remove grime.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At the bottom of the Olympia delle Tofane slope, in the grandstands about 2,000 feet below, there was nothing but a sickening silence after Vonn’s crash.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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The rest of us could only imagine Randall’s sickening embarrassment at needing to testify at the trial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
There is nothing unctuous about the clear, aromatic broth.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
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One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.—
Penny E Schwartz,
Oc Register,
1 Mar. 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
-
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
-
What historians and theologians know about Francis comes primarily from his own writings and hagiographic texts.—
Vanessa Corcoran,
The Conversation,
2 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Salvias are adored for their abundant blooms which attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The jampong was abundant with calamari, octopus and mussels, if a little overboiled for my tastes.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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