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snake oil
noun
Examples of snake oil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
She’s got more important things to worry about than being accused of becoming a snake oil salesman; McEntire returns to the spinning chair on The Voice tonight for season 25.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024
Then, these same brands dutifully patent an expensive snake oil antidote for poisoning you.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
This type of snake oil, Pedersen says, was indeed an effective anti-inflammatory.
—Jordan Friedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
Burton does take some nice jabs at the now, from therapy culture and selfie addiction to influencers, the snake oil salesman of the Instagram age.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near snake oil
Cite this Entry
“Snake oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake%20oil. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
snake oil
noun
: any of various substances or mixtures sold (as by a traveling medicine show) as medicine usually without having had the claims of their medical worth or properties substantiated by scientific tests
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