smooth over

verb

smoothed over; smoothing over; smooths over also smoothes over
: to make (a disagreement, problem, difficulty, etc.) seem less serious than it really is
Don't worry about missing the application deadline—we'll smooth that over with the office.
She smoothed over the objections to his candidacy.

Examples of smooth over in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a brief conversation with the casino bosses, it’s smoothed over and the gambling continues. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Dolan and her collaborators do a good job smoothing over the presentation of a fairly janky, formulaic concept, to results that are entertaining enough. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 The thick scooter tires gave it confident handling and smoothed over bumps and potholes. — ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 Today's launch aims to smooth over a few rough patches that the vehicle ran into during V3's debut on the mostly successful Flight 12, which occurred on May 22. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for smooth over

Rhymes for smooth over

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Browse Nearby Words

smooth out
smooth over
smooth-running
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smooth over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smooth%20over. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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