smooth sailing

Idioms  

1. Easy progress, as in We had a hard time setting up the new computer system but it'll be smooth sailing from here on. The smooth in this idiom alludes to calm waters, free from big waves or roughness, a usage dating from the late 1300s. The transfer to other kinds of easy progress dates from the second half of the 1900s. Also see plain sailing.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smooth sailing

We got lost once, and our entourage received several perplexed glances from workers, but otherwise it was smooth sailing.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

As wide of a lead as the Dodgers have in the division race, their season hasn’t been smooth sailing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Our travel columnist Dawn Gilberton’s experience in Lisbon and relatively smooth sailing in Paris and Rome this month underscore the crapshoot travelers face under the European Union’s new automated border-control system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Maybe that points to smooth sailing for SpaceX.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

I mean, in all the movies and TV shows, the popular kid who ascends from the depths of dorkdom has their day in the sun, and then it’s smooth sailing.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

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Related Words

• aplomb
• composure
• dexterity
• efficiency
• familiarity
• flexibility
• fluency
• nonchalance
• poise
• quickness
• simplicity

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