smooth over

British  

verb

1. (tr) to ease or gloss over

   to smooth over a situation

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smooth over Idioms  

1. Rid of obstructions or difficulties, as in We tried to smooth things over between the families before the wedding but did not succeed. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smooth over

The mea culpa was well-received by the trio and underscored Cora’s ability to smooth over even the most awkward situations.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Futures markets later sprang up to help diffuse risk and smooth over volatility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

German defence giant Rheinmetall on Sunday sought to smooth over a row caused by comments from its boss comparing Ukrainian factories producing drones to "housewives" making weapons in their kitchens.

From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026

Torrenting was also fast and smooth over ExpressVPN.

From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026

But the young man’s enormous ego often caused problems that Houseman had to smooth over.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• arbitrate
• clear up
• eradicate
• expedite
• get rid of
• harmonize
• negotiate
• resolve
• settle
• straighten out
• unravel