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

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

Though they later held meetings to smooth over their differences, the network is again livid following the reauthorization of German agrochemical giant Bayer's dicamba herbicide for sprayed use on genetically modified soybean and cotton.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

The disagreement between BC and Alberta is part of a longstanding clash that successive federal governments have struggled to smooth over.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025

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