secret sauce
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of secret sauce
From a so-called sauce for hamburgers whose ingredients are a closely held secret
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Guess the bottom line is…I could keep my focus and nerve all four days to finish it off," he messaged when I asked for the secret sauce.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Continental “co-production” is the secret sauce that makes U.S. manufacturing a powerhouse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
This must be part of the secret sauce — Wyatt’s dedication and consistency.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
In the 2000s, derivatives created from subprime mortgages were accorded top credit ratings; now, the so-called illiquidity premium on portfolios of loans to small and midsize private companies is considered their secret sauce.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Your secret sauce involved a plate full of fish.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
