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

“I thought I had taken care of it and was going to have smooth sailing for 8 to 10 years and then get another one of the same thing,” Glannan said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Development has not been smooth sailing though, with makers IO Interactive announcing a two-month delay to the release in December to "further polish" it.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

But expiration of the waiting period without issue signals smooth sailing ahead.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Sometimes, the opposite can also hold true: When the bond market is calm, it can signal smooth sailing ahead for stocks.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 22, 2025

All was smooth sailing till eight weeks into their journey when, on the verge of uncharted waters, they came across the longboat filled with human bones.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

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