OILS Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

oils 1 of 2

noun

plural of oil

as in paintings

a picture created with oil paint that artist is known to have created only oils and charcoal sketches

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oils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of oil

as in greases

to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction if you oil the machinery on a regular basis, it will operate more efficiently

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of oils

Noun

Plus, sunflower and bilberry seed oils give strands a glossy finish. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026 As for full-body treatments, the Prickly Pear Sugar Scrub draws on Sonoran Desert botanicals like prickly pear and calendula extract, combined with cane-sugar-rich oils and hydrating body butter, for a thoroughly rejuvenating exfoliation. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026 These formulas, Llesmin said, tend to contain moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, panthenol, oils, or butters. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026 German startup Mycolever, whose fungal discovery platform produces surfactants and oils for cosmetics and personal care, has meanwhile joined L’Oréal’s Green Science Incubator. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 Deborah Riley Draper directed film the film on the mixed media artist who created with photos, newspaper clippings, oils, ink, fabric and other material. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026 This releases the zest’s oils, which will permeate the cake and boost its lemon flavor. — Torie Cox, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026 While some nations use krill meal as an additional food source for their people, human use of krill products is primarily through dietary supplements containing oils that are extracted from krill. — Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 With a mix of ultra-rich hydrating oils—including coconut, olive, and soybean—plus quillaja saponaria bark extract to gently slough away dead skin cells, this formula works as an intensive treatment to help repair skin overnight. — Mary Honkus, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Ramakrishnan typically oils her hair twice a week before washing it. — Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oils

Noun

Her distinctive pumpkin sculptures and polka-dot paintings, meanwhile, generated millions of dollars in auction revenue.

— Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
After discovering a book of paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe in a secondhand bookstore, Kusama wrote to the famous artist, asking for advice.

— Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of paintings

Verb

Rectitude is a hindrance in the game of electoral politics, where money greases the slippery pole and glad-hands welcome the winner with inside information.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
View this post on Instagram Access greases the gears of the entire apparatus by creating its own positive feedback loop, like an ouroboros of exclusivity.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026

Definition of greases

Noun

Mansour persevered, turning out bright canvases of olive groves and peasants that brought to mind his former home and were well received.

— News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026
Repetitive motifs in various shapes were her trademark, resembling netting, swirls or worms, but most often dots, dancing proudly on her canvases or as sparkling balls or dots of light in her installations in all their vibrant, psychedelic glory.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026