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
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
This statistical perspective smooths over the low-level details in favor of higher-level trends.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
Powered by polymers and silica, this smooths over textured skin, and boasts up to 24 hours of wear while ginseng helps maintain skin’s natural balance.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
In an interview with journalist Catherine Herridge, Rubio smoothed over Trump’s comments about Zelensky and played down the significance of his first meeting with the Russian officials.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smooth over
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Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
This statistical perspective smooths over the low-level details in favor of higher-level trends.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
Powered by polymers and silica, this smooths over textured skin, and boasts up to 24 hours of wear while ginseng helps maintain skin’s natural balance.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
In an interview with journalist Catherine Herridge, Rubio smoothed over Trump’s comments about Zelensky and played down the significance of his first meeting with the Russian officials.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 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 24 Apr. 2025.
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