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secret sauce

American

[see-krit saws] / ˈsi krɪt ˈsɔs /

noun

a secret element, strategy, procedure, etc., that accounts for or increases the chances of success.

The app's secret sauce is its simple interface.

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.

See Examples For:

secret sauce

But there is no secret sauce or special beer.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

This must be part of the secret sauce — Wyatt’s dedication and consistency.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

And the secret in the secret sauce of HRT is estrogen.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

They see the political equivalent of In-N-Out Burger Spread—a new secret sauce to win over voters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

“A key ingredient in the U.S. economy’s secret sauce is that we attract the best and the brightest from all over the world to come here to work,” he said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023