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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As PennLive observes, the $10,000 scheme is an unusual attempt by a data center developer to smooth over opposition in a section of the country which is overwhelmingly opposed to the facilities. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026 There are no teeth in his jaws, and the sockets have smoothed over. — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026 Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the release could help smooth over recent supply disruptions. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026 All gaps in time and momentum can be smoothed over by Laura Karpman’s lush and lavish score. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 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
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Cite this Entry

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

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