Showing results for secret sauce. Search instead for secret+clause.

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.

Whereas big events can be "hidden" in a huge city like London, she says, the "fun secret sauce" that Manchester brings - including art trails and pop star tram announcements - "really came out".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Your secret sauce involved a plate full of fish.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 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

She leans into the culinary metaphor when asked about her secret sauce.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

“Predictability is part of the secret sauce of having a good central bank,” says Carroll.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

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