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
This collection of 36 short profiles by as many authors affectionately portrays the middlemen and facilitators who grease the wheels of life in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) in imaginative ways.
—
Lisa Bjorkman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Instead, many top statutes govern the functioning of the court system itself, offering a window onto the lunch-pail, nuts-and-bolts, workmanlike laws that grease the wheels of a (mostly) stable and functioning society.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
Several key trends are beginning to grease the wheels of a new era in live entertainment.
—Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2023
And indeed, Smith reaching out to Endeavor Holdings Group CEO Ari Emanuel helped grease the wheels.
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 July 2023
Arnaz’s words seemed to help grease the wheels toward the inevitable settlement.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 July 2023
The third is speed money: petty bribes paid to regular officials to bypass red tape and delays and grease the wheels of bureaucracy.
—Yuen Yuen Ang, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021
Federal student loan subsidies for graduate education, which are more expansive than subsidies for undergraduates, grease the wheels of the advanced-degree machine.
—Preston Cooper, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
There are some key factors that help grease the wheels of the NBA's ongoing activism.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 28 Aug. 2020
Lisa Bjorkman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Instead, many top statutes govern the functioning of the court system itself, offering a window onto the lunch-pail, nuts-and-bolts, workmanlike laws that grease the wheels of a (mostly) stable and functioning society.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
Several key trends are beginning to grease the wheels of a new era in live entertainment.
—Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2023
And indeed, Smith reaching out to Endeavor Holdings Group CEO Ari Emanuel helped grease the wheels.
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 July 2023
Arnaz’s words seemed to help grease the wheels toward the inevitable settlement.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 July 2023
The third is speed money: petty bribes paid to regular officials to bypass red tape and delays and grease the wheels of bureaucracy.
—Yuen Yuen Ang, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021
Federal student loan subsidies for graduate education, which are more expansive than subsidies for undergraduates, grease the wheels of the advanced-degree machine.
—Preston Cooper, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
There are some key factors that help grease the wheels of the NBA's ongoing activism.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 28 Aug. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grease the wheels.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Grease the wheels.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grease%20the%20wheels. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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