smooth over
phrasal 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
Recent Examples on the Web
In general fiction, alcohol is often portrayed as a social crutch, smoothing over awkward interactions or fueling reckless decisions.
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Jessica Guerrieri, People.com, 9 May 2025
There are now signs, though, that these disagreements are being smoothed over, leaving Congress ready to act.
—Owen Tedford, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Lander announced that due to technical difficulties and illness, the audience would have to wait a few days to see what shenanigans Barb got up to, and whether this birth would help her and her son, Jennifer’s brother John, smooth over their rocky relationship.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Still, there’s one thing Brit can’t smooth over: the gun comment.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smooth over
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Jessica Guerrieri, People.com, 9 May 2025
There are now signs, though, that these disagreements are being smoothed over, leaving Congress ready to act.
—Owen Tedford, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Lander announced that due to technical difficulties and illness, the audience would have to wait a few days to see what shenanigans Barb got up to, and whether this birth would help her and her son, Jennifer’s brother John, smooth over their rocky relationship.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Still, there’s one thing Brit can’t smooth over: the gun comment.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smooth over
Cite this Entry
“Smooth over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smooth%20over. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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