grease the wheels
idiom
: to improve an essential or functioning part of an organization, process, etc.
They hoped that the tax cuts would grease the wheels of the economy.
Examples of grease the wheels in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Far from being an act of resistance, could de-skilling actually grease the wheels of avant-garde acculturation, facilitating the movement of capital into every last nook and cranny of cultural production, even the most seemingly resistant?
—
Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
To grease the wheels of diplomacy, Obama turned a blind eye to the malign behavior of Iran and its terrorist proxies.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024
This collection of 36 short profiles by as many authors affectionately portrays the middlemen and facilitators who grease the wheels of life in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) in imaginative ways.
—Lisa Bjorkman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Instead, many top statutes govern the functioning of the court system itself, offering a window onto the lunch-pail, nuts-and-bolts, workmanlike laws that grease the wheels of a (mostly) stable and functioning society.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for grease the wheels 
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.
Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
To grease the wheels of diplomacy, Obama turned a blind eye to the malign behavior of Iran and its terrorist proxies.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024
This collection of 36 short profiles by as many authors affectionately portrays the middlemen and facilitators who grease the wheels of life in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) in imaginative ways.
—Lisa Bjorkman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Instead, many top statutes govern the functioning of the court system itself, offering a window onto the lunch-pail, nuts-and-bolts, workmanlike laws that grease the wheels of a (mostly) stable and functioning society.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for grease the wheels
Dictionary Entries Near grease the wheels
Cite this Entry
“Grease the wheels.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grease%20the%20wheels. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share