as in soapy
overly or insincerely flattering
an executive who surrounds herself with oily, sycophantic assistants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of oily
Bodies of sailors, soldiers and airmen were thrown into the water, some burned beyond recognition, others left floating in the oily sea.
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Alaa Elassar, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
Many of the beef tallow skin-care videos on social media revolve around the claim that beef tallow can help clear up acne breakouts, but all of the experts Allure spoke with warned against using it on acne-prone or oily skin.
—Victoria Moorhouse, Allure, 3 Dec. 2024
This product is a go-to for oily skin types, creating a clear and balanced complexion with each use.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024
The inclusion of salicylic acid makes this a great option for anyone with oily skin too.
—Kristin Canning, SELF, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for oily 
Alaa Elassar, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
Many of the beef tallow skin-care videos on social media revolve around the claim that beef tallow can help clear up acne breakouts, but all of the experts Allure spoke with warned against using it on acne-prone or oily skin.
—Victoria Moorhouse, Allure, 3 Dec. 2024
This product is a go-to for oily skin types, creating a clear and balanced complexion with each use.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024
The inclusion of salicylic acid makes this a great option for anyone with oily skin too.
—Kristin Canning, SELF, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
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There is just cause for the soapier parts: Manet was married, and Morisot wed his brother.Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Nov. 2024
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The group that seems to have inspired Reid is Fleetwood Mac, which, with its shifting intramural love relationships, sundry drug problems and issues of control — the soapiest of rock’s many operas — was a romance novel/miniseries waiting to happen.Robert LloydTelevision Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2023
Adjective
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Reviews of the film at the time tended to single out the career-best performance of Jason Patric, primarily because, as the aggro, rape-minded workout buddy to Eckhart’s weak-spined Barry, Patric’s is the showiest and most sickening role.Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
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The yearling scrambled back up its tree, then let go and fell, landing with a sickening thud.Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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At any moment, the noodles might dissolve, the cheese topping burn, the dish collapse into a soggy, oleaginous mess.Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
Adjective
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Pasta sauces are unctuous, and the tiramisu made my lactose-intolerant dining companion giddy.Kendyl Kearly, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
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For cooking the aromatic vegetables, but also dotted overtop, butter seeps into the breadcrumbs and crisps up the top for an unctuous, golden bite.Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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There’s no better time to embrace the mushy gushy than in the first few moments after winning gold medals together.Meg Linehan, The Athletic, 10 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Andrew Stevens pays loving but not hagiographic tribute to his late mother, famed actress Stella Stevens, in his documentary recently showcased at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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This is no hagiographic portrait of Czechoslovak Radio as a beacon of civic resistance.Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Recent examples of people acting out of this same humble presumption—and being slapped down for it—are abundant.Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
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Lessons from nations with better-performing health systems are abundant.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near oily
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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