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.
They are the well-oiled collection of busy little players who keep the ball like no one else—the side that measures every touch, weaves complex passing patterns and never, ever seems flustered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 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
They’re a well-oiled machine of fun over there!
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
All that military bonhomie didn’t produce a well-oiled effort on the field, where hits and base runners stack to create overwhelming wins.
From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2026
He wasn’t polished yet, but he never seemed to tire, never showed pain, just kept going, kept driving forward no matter what, like a well-oiled locomotive.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
