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.

---

Example Sentences

Investors are also turning their attention to the 2026 midterm elections, an occasion that isn’t known to be smooth sailing in markets.

From MarketWatch

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

From Barron's

To be sure, 2025 was hardly smooth sailing on Wall Street or Main, what with “Liberation Day” tariffs, a near-bear market, persistent inflation, and threats to the independence of the Federal Reserve.

From Barron's

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

From MarketWatch

“The market doesn’t feel euphoric, but it no longer feels cornered. Inflation is behaving, growth is cooling, liquidity is still ample, and positioning has been reset by one of the heaviest option expiries on record. That combination doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing, but it does explain why, even at the end of a long year, the market found just enough oxygen to sprint the final lap.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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