well-oiled machine
9
3.7
- noun
- /wɛl ˈɔɪld məˈʃin/
- That's when America hums along like a well-oiled machine.
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Watch on YouTubeAnd if you want to think that CIA is some sort of giant corrupt, well oiled machine of propaganda and lies, you're giving us way too much credit.
- And if you want to think that CIA is some sort of giant corrupt, well oiled machine of propaganda and lies, you're giving us way too much credit.
- The privilege of the person whose life is a well oiled machine, that party throwing person, that party throwing friend of hers is really quite privileged, isn't she?
- Or you may try to sell the world on this idea because they see you and that your life seems to run like a well oiled machine.
- This is a really this is a smart build, I'd say a well oiled machine.
Examples
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A good kitchen, like other enterprises, runs like a well-oiled machine.
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My life is a well-oiled machine.
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In times like these, I like to think of this company as a well-oiled machine, and we want to keep it that way.
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The San Antonio Spurs are like a well-oiled machine when it comes to turning out successful results.
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Apple is such a well-oiled machine that a rare misstep by one of the world's most admired brands is front-page news.
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AAA is a well-oiled machine; the logistics were amazingly smooth, all the gear was right, and the food was fantastic.
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Over the past month or so, the well-oiled machine that is Ronnie Feig and his Kith Set have been on quite a tear.
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Our team is like a well-oiled machine, completing projects ahead of schedule.
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With everyone on the same page, the event planning committee worked like a well-oiled machine.
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After months of practice, the orchestra performed as a well-oiled machine during the concert.
Synonyms
328
3.4
An organized system that works well to reach its goals
Antonyms
How Efficient
Surface Forms
Morphology
well-oiled + machine
The phrase is directly interpretable by combining 'well-oiled' (properly lubricated, i.e. working smoothly) with 'machine', so a learner who knows these words can infer 'a system that functions smoothly and efficiently.' The lubrication→smooth-functioning metaphor is common across languages, making the analogy accessible to an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Well-oiled machine comes from old workshops where a well-oiled machine had oil on its moving parts so they moved easily and did not stick. That's why we call a group or system a 'well-oiled machine' when it 'works smoothly' and all parts do their job.