grease the wheels
idiom
: to improve an essential or functioning part of an organization, process, etc.
They hoped that the tax cuts would grease the wheels of the economy.
Examples of grease the wheels in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The American charts are increasingly coming to grips with the fact that there are mainstream musical dynamos all over the planet — in Seoul, in Lagos, in San Juan — and this current K-pop push gets that English-language lyrics grease the wheels for such a crossover.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Everyone’s favorite advisor, Ned Gowan (Conor MacNeil), sidles up next to Henry to try and grease the wheels, knowing that the Grants would make an excellent alliance with the Mackenzies.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Texas politics experts told the Statesman that no speaker did more to grease the wheels for Patrick, shifting away from the House’s traditional role as a foil to the Senate.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The swap rights, in particular, offer flexibility without surrendering outright picks—think of them as tools to grease the wheels without giving away the farm.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grease the wheels
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Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Everyone’s favorite advisor, Ned Gowan (Conor MacNeil), sidles up next to Henry to try and grease the wheels, knowing that the Grants would make an excellent alliance with the Mackenzies.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Texas politics experts told the Statesman that no speaker did more to grease the wheels for Patrick, shifting away from the House’s traditional role as a foil to the Senate.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The swap rights, in particular, offer flexibility without surrendering outright picks—think of them as tools to grease the wheels without giving away the farm.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grease the wheels
Cite this Entry
“Grease the wheels.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grease%20the%20wheels. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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