as in to grease
to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction
used a petroleum based machine oil to lubricate the gears
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Recent Examples of lubricate
Or, as Philadelphia Eagles fans would have it, go lubricate the lampposts with the tears of their vanquished rivals.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Some will lubricate the digestive tract, helping prevent a buildup of hair, others are laxative that keeps the passages flowing.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
Politeness lubricates trust, not only in everyday chatting, but also in high-status contexts like executive dashboards or medical charting.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Lube Keeping your chain (fairly) clean and (appropriately) lubricated will extend its life and prolong the life of the rest of your drivetrain.
—Chris Cona, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lubricate
Michael Silver, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Some will lubricate the digestive tract, helping prevent a buildup of hair, others are laxative that keeps the passages flowing.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
Politeness lubricates trust, not only in everyday chatting, but also in high-status contexts like executive dashboards or medical charting.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Lube Keeping your chain (fairly) clean and (appropriately) lubricated will extend its life and prolong the life of the rest of your drivetrain.
—Chris Cona, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lubricate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lubricate
Verb
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The Israeli Air Force handled Iran's air defense system with ease, so much so that Israeli pilots established air superiority over the country and greased the skids for U.S. B-2 bombers to drop their 30,000-pound payloads on two of Iran's main nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordow.—
Daniel R. DePetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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But language hastening Maryland Public Service Commission approval of power plants is generating concern, as well as what critics see as provisions that grease the skids for new natural gas power plants.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Rather than focusing on which oils to consume, the focal point should be a person's overall diet, says Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist and professor of medicine at Stanford University.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
8 July 2025
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The heirloom isn’t trouble-free, Monreal says, requiring winding every month and oiling its wood once every year.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lubricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lubricate. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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