Synonyms

smooth sailing

Idioms

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.

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.

See Examples For:

smooth sailing

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

Spain's journey since their 2010 World Cup triumph has not exactly been smooth sailing.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

It wasn’t all smooth sailing on Monday as the federal government started the process of accepting claims for massive amounts of tariff refunds.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 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

Once she got examined for her teacher’s certificate, it’d be smooth sailing for her.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

smooth sailing

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words