smooth sailing

idiomatic phrase

: easy progress without impediment or difficulty

After the mix-up was rectified, it was smooth sailing again.

—Mike Brown

He just kept talking and talking his nonstop sunny talk about what a great summer we were going to have and that he had tons of plans and that we would get caught up as father and son and soon all our rough past would be behind us and we would have nothing but smooth sailing for our future.

—Jack Ganto

Examples of smooth sailing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sea Change Barring a recent dip, it’s been smooth sailing for Yinson Holdings. —Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Selling the lobsters to residents and tourists proved to be smooth sailing over the decades until late last August. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025

However, things are smooth sailing for the couple as they were spotted having dinner with friends in New York City at Crane Club just days before the awards ceremony. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2025

Once the theme crystallizes for you, the rest is smooth sailing. —Deb Amlen, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for smooth sailing

• assailing
• availing
• bewailing
• blackmailing
• curtailing
• derailing
• descaling
• detailing
• dovetailing
• entailing
• exhaling
• impaling