How to Use lubricate in a Sentence

lubricate

verb
  • Frothy oil can't be pumped and will not lubricate the engine.
    — Motormouth Bob Weber, Star Tribune, 14 Aug. 2020
  • The last step, aside from paint, is to lubricate and install your wheels and axles.
    — Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 12 Jan. 2023
  • If the rubber seals in your doors are dry, lubricate them so your doors won’t stick.
    — Dallas News, 18 Feb. 2021
  • This can keep oil from the scalp from traveling down to lubricate the hair.
    — Andrea Arterbery, Cosmopolitan, 6 Aug. 2015
  • For thick tile, use a spray bottle filled with water to lubricate the cut.
    — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 19 Jan. 2023
  • Use light pressure, and keep the clay bar lubricated at all times.
    — Katherine Keeler, Car and Driver, 6 May 2023
  • This is cooking that feeds the soul and lubricates the joints, and makes a nice long train nap sound good indeed.
    — Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The smell of marsh and salt and the lubricating oil on the baitcaster.
    — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2018
  • Dry eyes is a condition where your eyes cannot make enough tears to lubricate and nourish the eye.
    — Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Their hands should be gloved and their finger should be lubricated for this exam.
    — Adriana Gallardo, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2023
  • To reach the prostate, lubricate a finger and gently put it up the man's rectum.
    — Redbook, 30 Oct. 2017
  • But for those first few seconds, the engine is not very well lubricated.
    — Ray Magliozzi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2023
  • This causes your eyes to produce more tears to lubricate the eyes, which leads to watery eyes.
    — Vanessa Caceres, Verywell Health, 31 July 2024
  • This system needs the lubricating oil of hypocrisy to keep its gears turning.
    — Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2013
  • Put a few drops of motor oil in the spark plug hole, and pull the starter cord a few times to lubricate the cylinder.
    — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 9 Dec. 2019
  • Add a splash of water or oil to remove any metal shavings and lubricate it.
    — Adrienne Donica, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2021
  • To address the problem, Craig would need a grease gun, a tool that helps lubricate the drive shaft.
    — Katherine Rosman Lanna Apisukh, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2023
  • Voice37 is made with all-organic herbs to help lubricate and soothe your throat.
    — Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 1 Oct. 2022
  • One of her go-to tools is a handheld cutter that contains oil to keep the blade lubricated.
    — Sean Clancy, arkansasonline.com, 19 Sep. 2024
  • The whole ordeal took two to three hours, lubricated by copious amounts of icy beer and pork rinds.
    — Kris Yenbamroong, Bon Appetit, 3 Oct. 2017
  • It should be properly lubricated with the sauce, aioli, jam or spread of your choosing.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
  • The oceans won’t be able to lubricate the mechanisms of plate tectonics, and our crust will lock in place.
    — Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2023
  • This time ensures lubricating oil gets to all of the engine's vital parts.
    — Coral Murphy Marcos, The Courier-Journal, 12 June 2024
  • This time ensures lubricating oil gets to all of the engine's vital parts.
    — Coral Murphy Marcos, The Courier-Journal, 12 June 2024
  • Drinking enough water lubricates your GI tract so things can slip and slide with ease.
    — Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Sep. 2024
  • The oil is made from castor beans, and has long been used to make soap, lubricating products, and coatings.
    — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2023
  • Staying hydrated helps your body get rid of waste, lubricate joints, and protect your spinal cord.
    — Lindsey Desoto, Health, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Two-strokes have to run on a mixture of oil and gas to keep the engine properly lubricated.
    — Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 31 May 2023
  • The water lubricates the stone or sand particles in the bedding and allows a firmer pack.
    — Peter Martin, Popular Mechanics, 23 Sep. 2016
  • Now, lubricate the cutting wheel on the glass cutter with a drop of lightweight cutting oil or machine oil.
    — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 11 Feb. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lubricate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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