well-oiled
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of well-oiled
First recorded in 1730–40
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.
And for painting, I didn’t want it to be this well-oiled machine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
It's a well-oiled machine, kicked into overdrive by a war more than a thousand kilometres away.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Under its well-oiled financial system, companies can set up or shut down in days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
To complete the picture, PSG's midfield of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves is the well-oiled engine room linking it all together.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
Beneath his black sur- coat and golden mantle was a shut of well-oiled ringmail, and under that a layer of stiff boiled leather.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
