How to Use oil slick in a Sentence

oil slick

noun
  • An oil slick several miles long and wide spread at the scene.
    — The Economist, 18 Jan. 2018
  • Trying to peg gas pump prices is like keeping an oil slick from spreading.
    — orlandosentinel.com, 8 Apr. 2022
  • This year, oil slick nails and beetle manicures are at the top of her list.
    — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 15 Jan. 2025
  • This was their way out, hand-over-hand across 70 feet of rope above a burning oil slick.
    — Shaun McKinnon, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2020
  • Search-and-rescue teams spotted an oil slick in the area where the sub went missing.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2021
  • The attack caused an 18-mile oil slick and forced the crew to abandon the ship.
    — Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
  • Limniona is a dark red—nearly oxblood—that shines with hints of violet like an oil slick.
    — Marissa A. Ross, Bon Appétit, 28 Aug. 2019
  • Picture the surface of a soap bubble or a rainbow-like oil slick.
    — Karina Zaiets, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
  • There’s been no conclusive evidence the oil slick was from the sub.
    — Fox News, 23 Apr. 2021
  • Heavy winds are expected to push the oil slick even farther along the mainland’s shore.
    — Cara Anna, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2020
  • Heavy winds are expected to push the oil slick even farther along the mainland's shore.
    — Cara Anna, Star Tribune, 8 Aug. 2020
  • Experts say wind, waves and tides can all steer an oil slick, which is a thin layer that sits on the surface of the ocean.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2021
  • Earlier footage showed huge clouds of thick smoke rising from the oil slick that had been burning for more than a week.
    — Christopher Bodeen, The Seattle Times, 15 Jan. 2018
  • Visible in the image is what may be an oil slick, as well as what could be containment booms.
    — Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2013
  • The Houthi attack last month caused an 18-mile oil slick and forced the crew to abandon the ship.
    — Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
  • Brazilian television channels showed footage of oil slicks at sea and oil puddles along shores.
    — Mauricio Savarese, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2019
  • Margono said the oil slick may have been caused by a crack in the submarine’s tank after the vessel sank.
    — Niniek Karmin, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2021
  • And speaking of oils, Dempsey is a big fan, but advises against those that make your face look like an oil slick.
    — Jessica Radlof, Glamour, 16 July 2021
  • Hardly any wreckage remained above the surface, but tug boats were using hoses to break up a small oil slick at the site.
    — Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 14 Mar. 2022
  • The oil slick, covering about 13 square miles, has forced beaches to close and put wildlife in grave danger.
    — CBS News, 4 Oct. 2021
  • But the size of the oil slick from the Sanchi — and the scale of the environmental toll — may be smaller.
    — Gerry Shih, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2018
  • In the Boston area, a train with lasers mounted in front zaps the rails to deal with leaf slurry that creates an oil slick.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
  • The oil slick is where the flavor is, fortified by the flintstone heat of chiles across long and short fibers of beef rendered soft in the long, slow braise.
    — Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, 3 Sep. 2020
  • The Milwaukee River was flushed out with fresh water to keep a growing oil slick away from the nest.
    — Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2020
  • So are oil slicks, El Niño events intensified by climate change and plastic waste.
    — Katherine Harmon Courage, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Feb. 2023
  • Using oil in your marinade will actually create an oil slick on the tofu and the flavors will never sink in.
    — Jamie Wilson, Good Housekeeping, 15 Dec. 2016
  • An oil slick was found near the position of the submarine's last dive, about 60 miles north of the island of Bali.
    — Haley Victory Smith, Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2021
  • Only now her eyes were like gold coins in my phone’s light, wide and dazed, and instead of her soft white puppy belly, her stomach was black and shiny as an oil slick.
    — Katie Gutierrez, Longreads, 24 Sep. 2019
  • Dispersants would break up the oil slick on the surface of the water like dishwashing detergent breaks up oil from dirty dishes.
    — Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 12 May 2022
  • Good luck pinning down the group’s sound; the genres distort beautifully, like an oil slick, whether on the solo tracks or full-group efforts.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oil slick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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