smooth the way
idiom
: to make it easier to reach a conclusion, result, etc.
They smoothed the way for a quick end to the dispute.
Examples of smooth the way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both were in Minnesota’s quarterback room last year but were let go to smooth the way for J.J. McCarthy, who had a rough first two games and hasn’t played since due to a high ankle sprain.
—
Josh Kendall, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Because an agreement for both sides to free civilian detainees and exchange POWs is relatively low-hanging fruit in diplomacy with the Kremlin, securing it could help smooth the way for talks over more vexing issues.
—Tanya Lokshina, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2025
Hey, Linda Cardellini just used her lawyerly tricks to smooth the way for the restaurant’s opening.
Brava, indeed!
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 16 May 2025
In midtown and below, congestion pricing is helping to thin traffic and smooth the way for the buses that, in the rest of the city, still inch agonizingly along.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smooth the way
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Josh Kendall, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Because an agreement for both sides to free civilian detainees and exchange POWs is relatively low-hanging fruit in diplomacy with the Kremlin, securing it could help smooth the way for talks over more vexing issues.
—Tanya Lokshina, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2025
Hey, Linda Cardellini just used her lawyerly tricks to smooth the way for the restaurant’s opening.
Brava, indeed!
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 16 May 2025
In midtown and below, congestion pricing is helping to thin traffic and smooth the way for the buses that, in the rest of the city, still inch agonizingly along.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smooth the way
Cite this Entry
“Smooth the way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smooth%20the%20way. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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