smooth over

phrasal verb

smoothed over; smoothing over; smooths over also smoothes over

: to make (a disagreement, problem, difficulty, etc.) seem less serious than it really is

Don't worry about missing the application deadline—we'll smooth that over with the office.

She smoothed over the objections to his candidacy.

Examples of smooth over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many people enter relationships assuming that love will smooth over differences in worldview. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Google smooths over the latter's rough edges (literally) to create a phone that's easier to hold and use. —PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025

Whether worked into braids or smoothed over a fresh blowout, this oil delivers lasting nourishment while looking right at home in its sculptural, vanity-ready bottle. —Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 1 Sep. 2025

To smooth over tensions, the New York Times says Zuckerberg gifted his next-door neighbors noise-canceling headphones as a peace offering. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for smooth over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover