secret sauce
noun
1
: a sauce that adds an important element to a dish and that has ingredients which are typically kept secret
A frank of beef, pork, and veal … is split lengthwise, coated with secret sauce, and cooked on a grill.—
Jane and Michael Stern
Jane and Michael Sterncalled also special sauce
2
: an element, quality, ability, or practice that makes something or someone successful or distinctive
If leadership has a secret sauce, it may well be humility. A humble boss understands that there are things he doesn't know.—The Economist
The Economistcalled also special sauce
Examples of secret sauce in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The right blend of storytelling, crystal-clear data representation and visual allure can form the secret sauce to make your pitch deck irresistible and convince investors.
—Yec, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
The egg melts into the pretzel bun, and there’s a secret sauce that goes with that.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
Jones still makes his father’s secret sauce, and Marci makes some of her own recipes for dessert, including chocolate cakes made with hot coffee and cinnamon, fresh banana pudding, peach cobbler and buttermilk pie.
—Jenny Rudolph, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Accessories are the secret sauce that turns an okay outfit into an amazing one, and colorful accessories add even more flavor.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Understanding how each persona feels, their goals, and the unique struggles that frustrate them daily is the secret sauce that transforms generic wins into stories buyers can't help but engage with.
—Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
So what’s the secret sauce for a project from The Avenue?
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
The secret sauce in America has not been centralization, autocrats ruling us and 24/7 surveillance.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
Finish with sauerkraut, more secret sauce and the bun top.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024
Yec, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
The egg melts into the pretzel bun, and there’s a secret sauce that goes with that.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
Jones still makes his father’s secret sauce, and Marci makes some of her own recipes for dessert, including chocolate cakes made with hot coffee and cinnamon, fresh banana pudding, peach cobbler and buttermilk pie.
—Jenny Rudolph, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Accessories are the secret sauce that turns an okay outfit into an amazing one, and colorful accessories add even more flavor.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Understanding how each persona feels, their goals, and the unique struggles that frustrate them daily is the secret sauce that transforms generic wins into stories buyers can't help but engage with.
—Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
So what’s the secret sauce for a project from The Avenue?
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
The secret sauce in America has not been centralization, autocrats ruling us and 24/7 surveillance.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
Finish with sauerkraut, more secret sauce and the bun top.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secret sauce.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Secret sauce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secret%20sauce. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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