smooth out

phrasal verb

smoothed out; smoothing out; smooths out also smoothes out

1

: to make (something) smooth or flat

Help me smooth out the tablecloth.

After we dug up the soil, we smoothed it out before we planted the seeds.

2

: to make (something) easier by removing or dealing with problems

We will smooth out the election process by next year.

She tried to smooth things out with her daughter-in-law, but the damage was done.

Examples of smooth out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One such filter smoothes out wrinkles, supposedly returning users to their teenage selves but potentially playing into ageist beauty tropes. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025

Hard edges will smooth out by April 30, though, as romantic Venus will glide into your sign, infusing your aura with a more harmonious and agreeable vibe. —Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2025

Each year, on the first Saturday of March, a snow groomer smooths out the surface to make sure the streets of Anchorage are primed and ready for reindeer hooves. —Gregory Wakeman, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to have smoothed out some of the bumps in the road ahead of tonight's GOP budget vote after some House Republicans voiced concerns over potential Medicaid cuts. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for smooth out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout