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
Our skin texture smoothed out drastically and our scars lightened up.
—
Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024
Screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt adapted the story and smoothed out some of its more distracting complications.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
As Honk recently explained after his electronic mailbox was visited by a flurry of complaints of the rough ride in that area after the two billion-plus was spent, Caltrans intends to smooth out the older lanes beginning next year.
—Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 3 May 2024
Darker roasts lean slightly bitter and beg for a splash of something creamy to smooth out and balance the flavor.
—Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 May 2024
The Warp Stabilize feature, brought over from After Effects, is very effective at smoothing out bumpy video.
—PCMAG, 1 May 2024
Khanna is among a group of surrogates the campaign has identified to address dissent, smooth out tensions and, ultimately, steer wayward Democrats back toward the president.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
For skirts, smooth out the waistband with the iron, and lay the body of the skirt flat across the board to iron.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Perhaps eight or 10 episodes would have allowed Taylor and the writers to smooth out certain gaps.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024
Screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt adapted the story and smoothed out some of its more distracting complications.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
As Honk recently explained after his electronic mailbox was visited by a flurry of complaints of the rough ride in that area after the two billion-plus was spent, Caltrans intends to smooth out the older lanes beginning next year.
—Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 3 May 2024
Darker roasts lean slightly bitter and beg for a splash of something creamy to smooth out and balance the flavor.
—Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 May 2024
The Warp Stabilize feature, brought over from After Effects, is very effective at smoothing out bumpy video.
—PCMAG, 1 May 2024
Khanna is among a group of surrogates the campaign has identified to address dissent, smooth out tensions and, ultimately, steer wayward Democrats back toward the president.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
For skirts, smooth out the waistband with the iron, and lay the body of the skirt flat across the board to iron.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Perhaps eight or 10 episodes would have allowed Taylor and the writers to smooth out certain gaps.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smooth out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smooth out
Cite this Entry
“Smooth out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smooth%20out. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
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