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
The inability to smooth over differences forced us to invent, adapt, and evolve.
—
Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
There is a gap when shifting between them, which trained singers learn how to smooth over.
—ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
But in 2022, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affecting oil prices and Iran believed to be expanding its nuclear capabilities, Mr. Biden smoothed over relations.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Nico’s decision to join the Bruins signals that whatever hard feelings emerged from his brother’s situation have been smoothed over between the team and the Iamaleava family.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smooth over
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Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
There is a gap when shifting between them, which trained singers learn how to smooth over.
—ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
But in 2022, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affecting oil prices and Iran believed to be expanding its nuclear capabilities, Mr. Biden smoothed over relations.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Nico’s decision to join the Bruins signals that whatever hard feelings emerged from his brother’s situation have been smoothed over between the team and the Iamaleava family.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 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 7 May. 2025.
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