snake oil

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.

When Goop debuted, it sometimes felt like snake oil.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025

Then, these same brands dutifully patent an expensive snake oil antidote for poisoning you.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024

You can see that part is false, and you can understand why the other face he wears sells a lot of overpriced snake oil.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2024

On her website, she lists four red flags to watch for on snake oil products: claims with no supporting medical evidence, lack of peer review on scientific data, manipulation of emotions and celebrity endorsements.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2023

Two weeks after her burial, Rose’s husband arrived loaded with ingots of gold for the children, two-dollar pieces for the women and snake oil for the men.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison