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
This is not an oily, greasy ramen, but rather, light and flavorful.
—
Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Excess liquid pooling at the bottom, or an oily sheen suggests the meat could be dried out.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
It can be caused by a number of different triggers, including certain medical conditions, hair care habits, dry scalp, hormone fluctuations, overproduction of a naturally-occurring yeast on the scalp and oily skin.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
The lightweight moisturizer with SPF 50 protection leaves a gorgeous glow and no white cast on my combination, oily skin.
—Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Excess liquid pooling at the bottom, or an oily sheen suggests the meat could be dried out.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
It can be caused by a number of different triggers, including certain medical conditions, hair care habits, dry scalp, hormone fluctuations, overproduction of a naturally-occurring yeast on the scalp and oily skin.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
The lightweight moisturizer with SPF 50 protection leaves a gorgeous glow and no white cast on my combination, oily skin.
—Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
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Plug the sink's drain and add just enough hot, soapy water to fully cover the rack.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Fresh off the announcement that Netflix renewed the soapy sapphic series, Akerman and Snow presented at the Emmy awards together.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The sickening moment of Kirk's murder was captured on video and has been viewed by tens of millions of people.—
Melissa Galbraith,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The song comments on the sickening glee that’s been spread in some corners in the aftermath of Kirk’s death.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Ted Cruz, the perennial front-runner, is smug and oleaginous—hated equally by his colleagues and the public.—
Alex Shephard,
The New Republic,
26 Sep. 2022
Adjective
-
In its equilibrium, a good tomato sandwich is juicy and unctuous and appropriately messy, which is praise all-too-often reserved for hot sandwiches like cheesesteaks or patty melts.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
18 July 2025
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But there's an elevated simplicity in Rolf and Daughters' tangle of excellent tonnarelli, spun in an unctuous garlicky sauce, finished with sweet, tender lumps of Dungeness crab.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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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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Eschewing the polished, hagiographic style of many contemporary making-of documentaries, Figgis keeps his footprint small and his perspective immediate.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
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Years of hagiographic media coverage and his immense social-media reach birthed legions of fanboys and nurtured a cult of personality.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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In spacious kitchens with abundant storage, countertops should be kept as clear as possible and reserved for food prep.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Sep. 2025
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Researchers are now turning to sodium, a cheaper and more abundant option.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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